The Spider-Man Chronicles
by Murray798
Summary: Peter Parker faces tragedy and notorious villains as he becomes Spider-Man.
1. The Beginning

**Chapter One**

_The Beginning_

Peter Parker looked at the clock. It seemed like class would never be over. He was wondering where Harry was. Harry was usually never this late. Sure, Harry's life was different because he was the son of military specialist Norman Osborn, but he usually showed up on time…

"Mr. Osborn, you finally decided to greet us with your presence." Before Harry could even get a word in, the bell rang. Peter met him out in the hall.

"Harry, what happened this time? You're usually never this late."

"One of dad's press conferences ran later than he thought it would. Of course, dad remembered when his press conference started but he forgot what time school starts. You know, it is weird being the son of someone who is always at the center of media attention. Everyone is practically knocking down your door just for an interview."

Peter laughed. "I don't even know how that feels like. I'm this kid from Queens who's just another kid on the attendance sheet most of the time."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Later that day, Peter went to his house. There was a moving van in his neighbor's driveway. _Oh yeah_, he thought to himself. _Those people are moving in today. I totally forgot about that._ "Peter, I want you to meet our neighbor." Aunt May was motioning for him to get inside. "Peter, this is Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane, this is my nephew, Peter Parker." Mary Jane stood up.

"May, it was really nice of you to introduce me to your nephew, but no thanks. I've seen a bunch of these situations before. The nice mother figure tries to introduce the girl to her male relative. I'm sure Peter is a nice boy, but I'm not interested."

Peter scoffed. Boy, did that woman have a lot of nerve. "For your information, Miss Watson, I already have a girlfriend. Her name is Gwen Stacy."

"Gwen Stacy? Isn't she the police captain's daughter that acts like she's the head of the police department herself?" Mary Jane smirked.

Aunt May stepped in. "Look, Mary Jane, I didn't invite you over here because I was trying to play matchmaker for Peter. I invited you over because I wanted you to welcome you to our neighborhood."

"Tell Uncle Ben I'll see him later. I'm going to see Gwen." Peter left. It was going to be difficult for him to get used to having Miss Watson for a neighbor.

"Peter, I'm so happy to see you. What a surprise!" Gwen smiled as she opened the door.

"You're telling me. I had to leave my house so I wouldn't blow up at our new neighbor."

"What happened?"

"Oh, our new neighbor is a young woman who thinks that she's the most beautiful creature on Earth." Gwen shook her head.

"Peter, we didn't exactly get along when we first met. I dismissed you as a bookworm and you dismissed me as a dumb blonde. Try to give her a chance. Oh, while you're here, I have something to tell you. Scientist Otto Octavius is presenting his mechanical energy presentation tomorrow and I thought you might like to go. Dad's going to be the major source of security at the presentation." Her eyes watered. "I have this constant worry that Dad's going to get hurt protecting the people one of these days. I know that he loves protecting the people, but…" She paused.

"Gwen, your father is one of the greatest people I know. Who else would put their life on the line every day for people they don't know? Nobody would ever want to hurt George Stacy." He paused. "I think I will go to that presentation. Otto Octavius is brilliant and it sounds like a great opportunity."

"That's the Peter I know and love."

"I love you too, Gwen."

The next day at school, Peter got a surprise. "Hi, neighbor." Mary Jane Watson was walking down the hallway toward him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I forgot to tell you during our domestic dispute yesterday that I'm now in your class. I'm graduating with you this year, Pete."

Peter groaned. "Peter, could you read this issue of _The Daily Star_? I want to know what your opinion is." He turned around. Liz was standing there with a copy of their school newspaper. She looked at Mary Jane. "Who's she?"

"I'm Mary Jane Watson, your new classmate. You're the school's girl Friday, I take it?"

"Welcome to my world. My job is to report on the wonderful, weird and wacky things that happen."

"Weird and wacky things happen here? This area is practically Mayberry." Mary Jane rolled her eyes.

"That's the façade that we want to put on," Liz answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that we're accustomed to the ghouls, ghosts, goblins and clones that tend to come around here."

Mary Jane turned to Peter. "Is she insane?"

Liz smiled. "Draw your own conclusion."

Peter turned to Mary Jane. "Mary Jane, that's my best friend, Liz Allan Richardson. Now, if you'll excuse us, I have some peer editing to do." Mary Jane left. Liz turned to Peter.

"Since when did our school get Miss Know-It-All?"

Peter shrugged. "I met her yesterday. Aunt May was holding a housewarming party. Mary Jane thought that May was trying to play matchmaker, so she was on the defense. When I told her about Gwen, she insulted Gwen."

Liz smiled. "I don't think Miss Watson was prepared for my sense of humor."

Peter laughed. "Please, Liz. You're the only person I know who keeps files of weird events that happen here."

Liz nodded. "That's the way I am."

Norman Osborn was nervously standing at the Osborn headquarters. "Norman, Otto Octavius has put in some great scientific work with his mechanical energy research. Your company hasn't produced anything that great in a year.

Norman cleared his throat. "I agree with everyone that Octavius' research is a work of genius, but Octavius hasn't even started a company yet." Norman paused. "He's not even interested in starting a company. That's his self-work."

"It's not just Octavius, Norman. Your biggest company competitor has more revenue and manufactures more for the military than the Osborn Corporation has in recent years. However, the only reason we're not switching is because we're interested in this specialized military armor suit that the Osborn Corporation has been working on. However, we want it released almost immediately. Focus on this suit, Norman and we may not go to your competitor."

After listening to how May's afternoon went, Ben Parker sat down on his sofa. "May, I'm sorry that your house warming party didn't go as well as you expected it would. I am glad that Peter is with Gwen. That way, he has somebody to grow old with." He laughed. "Although, Miss Watson does certainly liven up the neighborhood."

May sat down. "Ben, it's not funny." She paused. "I know we won't be around forever and I also want Peter to be happy. He has had a rough life. I mean, his life practically started out with the death of his parents and ever since, his life has not been a walk in the park.

Ben nodded. "Ever since my brother died, there's been this emptiness in my life and in Peter's life. I just want to do the best by him before it's my time. I want to know that I raised Peter to be everything he can be."

May nodded as she grasped his hands. "I know exactly how you feel." She smiled.


	2. Everyone's Psychologist

**Chapter One**

_The Beginning_

Peter Parker looked at the clock. It seemed like class would never be over. He was wondering where Harry was. Harry was usually never this late. Sure, Harry's life was different because he was the son of military specialist Norman Osborn, but he usually showed up on time…

"Mr. Osborn, you finally decided to greet us with your presence." Before Harry could even get a word in, the bell rang. Peter met him out in the hall.

"Harry, what happened this time? You're usually never this late."

"One of dad's press conferences ran later than he thought it would. Of course, dad remembered when his press conference started but he forgot what time school starts. You know, it is weird being the son of someone who is always at the center of media attention. Everyone is practically knocking down your door just for an interview."

Peter laughed. "I don't even know how that feels like. I'm this kid from Queens who's just another kid on the attendance sheet most of the time."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Later that day, Peter went to his house. There was a moving van in his neighbor's driveway. _Oh yeah_, he thought to himself. _Those people are moving in today. I totally forgot about that._ "Peter, I want you to meet our neighbor." Aunt May was motioning for him to get inside. "Peter, this is Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane, this is my nephew, Peter Parker." Mary Jane stood up.

"May, it was really nice of you to introduce me to your nephew, but no thanks. I've seen a bunch of these situations before. The nice mother figure tries to introduce the girl to her male relative. I'm sure Peter is a nice boy, but I'm not interested."

Peter scoffed. Boy, did that woman have a lot of nerve. "For your information, Miss Watson, I already have a girlfriend. Her name is Gwen Stacy."

"Gwen Stacy? Isn't she the police captain's daughter that acts like she's the head of the police department herself?" Mary Jane smirked.

Aunt May stepped in. "Look, Mary Jane, I didn't invite you over here because I was trying to play matchmaker for Peter. I invited you over because I wanted you to welcome you to our neighborhood."

"Tell Uncle Ben I'll see him later. I'm going to see Gwen." Peter left. It was going to be difficult for him to get used to having Miss Watson for a neighbor.

"Peter, I'm so happy to see you. What a surprise!" Gwen smiled as she opened the door.

"You're telling me. I had to leave my house so I wouldn't blow up at our new neighbor."

"What happened?"

"Oh, our new neighbor is a young woman who thinks that she's the most beautiful creature on Earth." Gwen shook her head.

"Peter, we didn't exactly get along when we first met. I dismissed you as a bookworm and you dismissed me as a dumb blonde. Try to give her a chance. Oh, while you're here, I have something to tell you. Scientist Otto Octavius is presenting his mechanical energy presentation tomorrow and I thought you might like to go. Dad's going to be the major source of security at the presentation." Her eyes watered. "I have this constant worry that Dad's going to get hurt protecting the people one of these days. I know that he loves protecting the people, but…" She paused.

"Gwen, your father is one of the greatest people I know. Who else would put their life on the line every day for people they don't know? Nobody would ever want to hurt George Stacy." He paused. "I think I will go to that presentation. Otto Octavius is brilliant and it sounds like a great opportunity."

"That's the Peter I know and love."

"I love you too, Gwen."

The next day at school, Peter got a surprise. "Hi, neighbor." Mary Jane Watson was walking down the hallway toward him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I forgot to tell you during our domestic dispute yesterday that I'm now in your class. I'm graduating with you this year, Pete."

Peter groaned. "Peter, could you read this issue of _The Daily Star_? I want to know what your opinion is." He turned around. Liz was standing there with a copy of their school newspaper. She looked at Mary Jane. "Who's she?"

"I'm Mary Jane Watson, your new classmate. You're the school's girl Friday, I take it?"

"Welcome to my world. My job is to report on the wonderful, weird and wacky things that happen."

"Weird and wacky things happen here? This area is practically Mayberry." Mary Jane rolled her eyes.

"That's the façade that we want to put on," Liz answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that we're accustomed to the ghouls, ghosts, goblins and clones that tend to come around here."

Mary Jane turned to Peter. "Is she insane?"

Liz smiled. "Draw your own conclusion."

Peter turned to Mary Jane. "Mary Jane, that's my best friend, Liz Allan Richardson. Now, if you'll excuse us, I have some peer editing to do." Mary Jane left. Liz turned to Peter.

"Since when did our school get Miss Know-It-All?"

Peter shrugged. "I met her yesterday. Aunt May was holding a housewarming party. Mary Jane thought that May was trying to play matchmaker, so she was on the defense. When I told her about Gwen, she insulted Gwen."

Liz smiled. "I don't think Miss Watson was prepared for my sense of humor."

Peter laughed. "Please, Liz. You're the only person I know who keeps files of weird events that happen here."

Liz nodded. "That's the way I am."

Norman Osborn was nervously standing at the Osborn headquarters. "Norman, Otto Octavius has put in some great scientific work with his mechanical energy research. Your company hasn't produced anything that great in a year.

Norman cleared his throat. "I agree with everyone that Octavius' research is a work of genius, but Octavius hasn't even started a company yet." Norman paused. "He's not even interested in starting a company. That's his self-work."

"It's not just Octavius, Norman. Your biggest company competitor has more revenue and manufactures more for the military than the Osborn Corporation has in recent years. However, the only reason we're not switching is because we're interested in this specialized military armor suit that the Osborn Corporation has been working on. However, we want it released almost immediately. Focus on this suit, Norman and we may not go to your competitor."

After listening to how May's afternoon went, Ben Parker sat down on his sofa. "May, I'm sorry that your house warming party didn't go as well as you expected it would. I am glad that Peter is with Gwen. That way, he has somebody to grow old with." He laughed. "Although, Miss Watson does certainly liven up the neighborhood."

May sat down. "Ben, it's not funny." She paused. "I know we won't be around forever and I also want Peter to be happy. He has had a rough life. I mean, his life practically started out with the death of his parents and ever since, his life has not been a walk in the park.

Ben nodded. "Ever since my brother died, there's been this emptiness in my life and in Peter's life. I just want to do the best by him before it's my time. I want to know that I raised Peter to be everything he can be."

May nodded as she grasped his hands. "I know exactly how you feel." She smiled.


	3. Destiny Bites

**Chapter Three**

_Destiny Bites_

Otto was trying to come to terms with himself. _How could this have happened? I had planned everything. A miscalculation seemed impossible. There was no possibility of the machine having self-control. Now, I've lost everything, including my own wife. My own wife! She died for this. I have to finish what I started. I have to!_

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Why are you so excited for this trip, Liz? You think that field trips are boring."

"Peter, I need some photos for the school newspaper. This is a great photo opportunity."

"Do you really think that the student body will love pictures of arthropods?"

"No, it takes up extra space."

"Hey, girl Friday, make sure that you get my good side!" Liz turned around to see Mary Jane waving.

"You know, Peter, if you had never told me anything about Mary Jane, I would still think that she was a snob."

"Liz, Mary Jane doesn't always give the best first impression."

"Peter, the girl acts like she's this social butterfly. She always needs the latest fashions, the coolest friends, and the sarcastic attitude."

"Liz, that's the mask that she wears every day to hide her true feelings. She isn't really like that. Sometimes, she even fools me."

"Okay, Shakespeare, no need to get melodramatic."

"Everyone, please come this way and no talking while we're here." They looked up to see their teacher. "Please, treat this with respect. I know that this may be boring for many of you, but all of you are representatives of your school, so please keep that in mind." The group walked into the building.

Liz whispered to Peter, "Welcome to the geek hall of fame."

"We're missing #06521." Liz and Peter turned around to look at an employee searching for #06521.

"Now watch #06521 be the most dangerous thing in this building."

Peter laughed. "Bye, Liz, I'm going to talk to Gwen."

"Gwen, do you know what this #06521 thing is?"

"It's an escaped radioactive spider."

"You're acting just like Liz."

"No, Peter, I'm serious. It's an escaped radioactive spider."

"Boy, does that sound like the science movie of the week."

"What will these scientists come up with next?"

"I know. Yeah, it's… Ouch!"

"Peter, what happened," Gwen asked in concern.

"A spider bit me," Peter said as he rubbed his hand.

"I'm sorry, Peter."

"That's okay. C'mon, let's go to another section." Peter smiled.

Later that day, Peter went home. "Hi, Peter, how was the field trip?" Ben was talking to him.

"It was great. I need some rest, though."

"Are you okay, Peter?"

"I'm fine, Aunt May, I just need some rest."

Norman was waiting for the test pilot at Osborn Corporation.

"Mr. Osborn, test pilot 799 is ready."

"This test needs to go well. Osborn Corporation is dependent on it."

"I know, sir."

"Start the test."

"Sir, his heart and brain rate are not reacting well to the test. There's significant brain damage and a significant increase in his heart rate."

"Let me see the test pilot."

"Sir, that's not a very good idea."

"No, let me see him." Norman walked into the dark test room. Suddenly, something jumped on him. The thing tried to choke him. Then, the thing collapsed on the floor. Norman walked out of the room in a panic. "What was that thing!? The thing was insane! It tried to choke me! What was that thing!?"

"The test pilot, sir."

Everyone was waiting for Ben and May to come home at Peter's house. "Do they suspect anything, Peter?"

"Don't worry, Gwen. They have absolutely no idea. They went out to run a few errands. Tell your dad thank you. Without him, Uncle Ben and Aunt May wouldn't have had a nice ceremony to renew their vows for their 60th wedding anniversary. I think they're back. I hear the garage door opening."

"Surprise!"

After a long celebration, Harry walked up to Peter. "I think I love Mary Jane."

"Please, Harry, you think that about everybody. You originally thought that you loved Gwen, remember?" When Harry saw Mary Jane walking towards Peter, he left.

"Pete, your friend is nice, but he's not my type."

"Attention, friends and family!" Everyone looked up to see Ben and May. "We want to thank everyone who was involved for making this one of the greatest days of both of our lives. We will always cherish the memories of the past, present, and future time that we're with you. Thank you!"

The next day at school, Liz noticed a web-like substance coming from Peter's locker. "What is that, Peter? It looks like something you'd get out of a novelty store."

"Liz, please don't call me crazy."

"Peter, I would never call you crazy."

"It's from me. I got a spider bite from radioactive spider #06521 when we went on our field trip. Ever since then, I've been acting like a spider."

"Peter…" She paused as she tried to think of a solution. "We have to get you help."

Flash Thompson was approaching them. "Who says that little Peter Parker can have Gwen as a girlfriend? I'm sure she'd love a boyfriend who has broken teeth." As Flash raised his fist, a web attached to him that threw him across the hallway."

Liz grabbed Peter's arm. "Peter, we have to get out of here."

Peter went with Liz. Still fascinated with his ability, Liz occasionally had to stop him from wall climbing or jumping from tall buildings. "Liz, I don't want help. This is a neat ability and I want to keep it. Another thing, I don't care who you tell, just don't tell Gwen."

"Peter, whether you keep it or not is up to you. I do see that there are some useful things that come with this ability." She rolled her eyes as Peter tried to climb another wall. "However, I think Gwen should know. She is your girlfriend and she has every right to know."

"Please don't tell Gwen. She'll worry about me all of the time. Please don't tell her."

"Okay, okay, I won't tell her. I just want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me that you'll always use this for good, not evil?"

"I promise, Liz."


	4. Family Legacy

**Chapter Four**

_Family Legacy_

Gwen was walking with Peter and Liz. She saw Mary Jane and Flash walking together. She said, "I can't believe that Mary Jane and Flash are a couple."

"I can believe it. It's part of her social butterfly act."

"True, Liz, but Flash also got a new car."

Liz responded, "She's going with him because she's after the money."

Peter said, "Flash needs to know that there's somebody out there who can match his strength and his wealth."

Gwen responded, "Peter, don't get any crazy ideas."

Ben and May sat down at their table. "I'm worried about Peter. I think that he's becoming too self-confident and he's losing sight of the important things in life."

"Ben, he's our nephew."

"May, I promised my brother that I would take care of Peter in case anything happened to him. I have to honor my promise. Also, you're right; he's our nephew, so it's our responsibility. Peter needs to have a better attitude. I'll have a nice conversation with him today."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

_Great looking car that's affordable, great looking car that's affordable…_ Peter thought this to himself as he flipped through the classifieds. He had already found a way to get the money. He had noticed that there was a televised wrestling competition being held across from the library today. He could go to the library's bathroom to change into the wrestling outfit. His wrestling name was going to be The Human Arthropod. Everything seemed so perfect at that time. He walked down the steps. "Bye, Aunt May and Uncle Ben, I'm going to the library."

"Peter, I'm going to take you. I want us to have some quality time together."

"Uncle Ben, I can walk to the library. It's not a big deal."

"No, let's have some quality time together." Uncle Ben was silent until they got to the library parking lot. Peter was getting ready to get out of the car. "Peter, I wanted to talk to you about something. I know that you're going through some difficult times and I think you're losing sight of the important things in life."

"Uncle Ben, I know what the important things in life are. I'll see you later."

"Peter, you're different. You have a cockier attitude, you get into fights, and now, you're acting like you're this circus performer who's willing to do any dangerous stunt."

"Uncle Ben, I know what I'm doing. This is a new road and I want to travel it to see where it leads."

"Peter, show me what I'm looking for. With great power, comes great responsibility. Peter, everyone has been waiting for someone like you. I've been waiting for you."

"Uncle Ben, I could never be what you want me to be."

"Peter, it's been difficult for all of us since your father's death many years ago. I just hope that his death isn't resulting in your behavior now."

"You're right, Ben. His death was difficult. Nobody can replace him. So, stop trying to replace him. You can never be him."

"Peter, I'll… I'll… pick you up later." Angrily, Peter went out of the car. How could he talk to him like that? How could he have the nerve to talk to him like that?

A voice boomed in the arena. "Welcome to our next bone-crushing, teeth-grinding, heart-pounding match. Bonesaw vs. Spider-man!" Peter chose Spider-man instead of The Human Arthropod because Spider-man sounded like a better fitting name for this event. Within one look of the crowd, Peter knew that they were not rooting for him. Great, he thought. I just got into a fight with my uncle and everybody wants to see my brains spilled out onto the arena's floor. Just great. "Is everybody ready?" The crowd cheered with enthusiasm. "Then, let's begin!" Just five minutes. Just five minutes. I can stay in the rink for five minutes, Peter thought to himself.

Gwen knocked on the Parkers' door. "Hi, May. Is Peter here?"

"No, he went to the library. I'm sorry you missed him."

"That's okay. At least, he can't get himself hurt at the library."

I think I just injured a bone that I didn't even know that I had, Peter thought to himself. Five seconds were left. He looked around the rink. He remembered jumping on the walls of the buildings that he and Liz walked by one day. He jumped and he landed directly on Bonesaw, making himself the winner. Now, I can afford that car. Also, the crowd's cheering for me. Peter went to their finances department to claim the money. "No, way, kid. We're not giving you the money.

"I fought the guy for five minutes. I deserve that money."

"You scrawny, little thing. You're not going to get a dime of our money."

"I stayed in the rink for five minutes. This is an injustice."

"You're lucky just to be alive. By the way, this isn't Boy Scout land. We can advertise anyway we want to, even if it's false advertising. Get out." Peter looked at the man in disgust before leaving. A robber ran into the man's office. The man screamed for Peter. Peter didn't even look back.

Peter kept looking outside for Ben's car. Where could he be? He heard a commotion. He ran over there to find Uncle Ben lying on the ground surrounded by people. "Who are you?" He looked up to see a police officer.

"I'm this man's nephew. What happened to him?"

"He's been shot." Peter raced past the officer to get to Ben.

"Uncle Ben, Uncle Ben?"

"Peter." Ben smiled slightly upon seeing his nephew. "Peter, I… I" Ben took his last breath. Peter's eyes watered, but at the same time, he felt like he knew where the murderer was. Without thinking twice, Peter went after him. Using his webbing ability to get him there, Peter finally tracked the man down. The man was standing in an old abandoned warehouse. Peter clung to the roof. He looked down at the man. Peter jumped down from the roof. The man smiled at him because he recognized him from the wrestling arena.

"Spider-man, huh? Even if you had eight arms, you still wouldn't get past me." A bright light stopped the man from loading his gun. When he turned around to look at the light, he fell through the window, resulting in the man's death. Peter decided to return home. How was he going to tell Aunt May? How was he?

Aunt May opened up the door in anticipation. To her surprise, Ben wasn't there. Peter closed the door.

"I'm so sorry, Peter," Liz said at Uncle Ben's funeral.

"Thanks, Liz." Gwen walked up to him.

"Peter, if there's anything George and I can do for you and May, just let me know."

"Thanks, Gwen." Gwen looked at Liz.

"We'll see you later, Peter."

"It's my fault." Peter paused.

"Peter, you had nothing to do with Ben's death.'

"I was at the wrestling arena, Liz; I didn't need to be there. I told Ben that I was going to the library and he was going to pick me up. He had a reason for being there, I didn't. Oh, Ben." Gwen hugged Peter.

"It's going to be okay, Peter. It's going to be okay."


	5. Pomp and Circumstance

**Chapter Five**

_Pomp and Circumstance_

Peter was in his front yard. He couldn't believe it. Graduation day was tomorrow and Uncle Ben wouldn't be there. "Hi, neighbor." He looked up to see Mary Jane. "I, uh, wanted to thank you for talking to me the other day. You really saved my life. I'm also sorry about your uncle."

"MJ, considering your case, I'm lucky to have had a normal home life. I mean, sure, Uncle Ben could argue with me sometimes, but it was never to the extent of your stepfather." He paused. "I still can't believe he's gone. It still seems like yesterday."

"I know what you mean. Mom's sick all the time and I'm worried about losing her any day now."

"So, what are your plans after high school?" Peter wanted to change the subject.

"What is this, third grade career day?"

"Maybe."

Mary Jane laughed. "I want to be… Forget it, it's stupid."

"Nothing is stupid."

"You're going to laugh."

"I promise. I won't laugh."

"I want to be an actress." Peter was silent. "Okay, Pete, what are you thinking?"

"I was thinking that it's really great that you're going after your bigger dreams instead of settling for whatever somebody else wants you to do." Mary Jane looked at him. "I think I'm going to see what Aunt May is up to." Peter turned around.

"Hey, Pete."

"What is it, Mary Jane?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck with your future career." Peter smiled before he headed into the house. Gwen is one lucky girl, Mary Jane thought to herself before she headed into her house.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Hey, Peter, congratulations!" Peter smiled at Harry. "Peter, you won't believe it! Dad isn't working today at all!"

"Why would I put OsCorp over my son's commencement?" Norman walked towards them. "Congratulations, Harry and Peter. Peter, I know this day is difficult for you because of your uncle's passing, but remember, I'll always be there for you. I always viewed you as my surrogate son. That's why I want to invite you to live at Harry's penthouse. I hope you'll take me up on my offer."

"Thanks, Mr. Osborn; I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this." Aunt May walked over to them.

"Peter, why haven't you ever introduced me to Mrs. Watson, before? In just five minutes, we've become best friends."

"That's great, Aunt May." He paused. "However, please give her some time to rest. This is the first time that she's been out of her house since her illness started." He paused. "Speaking of the Watsons, where is Mary Jane?"

"I don't know," May said. Peter looked over to see her breaking up with Flash. I knew that wouldn't last very long, he thought to himself.

"Peter, I thought this day would never come." He turned around to see Liz. Liz's father was standing by her.

"Remember, Liz, your mom is proud of you, too." Liz became sad upon hearing this from her dad.

She responded with a simple, "I know." She looked at Peter. "Can you believe it!? Graduation has arrived! Celebration time! I'll see you later, Peter!"

"Unbelievable, even with all she's accomplished in her life, she still amazes me." Peter turned around to see George Stacy. "I'm so proud of Gwen, and I'm also proud of you." Peter smiled.

"I'm so lucky to have these amazing people in my life. I mean, Liz is the valedictorian and Gwen is the salutatorian. Not only are they amazing, they're also brilliant."

"Oh, Peter, stop bluffing." Gwen smiled at him. "I don't think Liz and I are that amazing. I just wish that mom was here to see this."

"She's here in spirit."

"Thanks Peter." Gwen paused. "I'll see you at your house."

Peter and May entered silently into their house. "I need some time to be alone before the party."

"That's okay, Peter. Let me know if you need anything." Peter walked up to his room. He took the photo of him, Ben and May down from his bookcase. May knocked on his door.

"May I come in?"

"Sure, Aunt May." She sat down in his room.

"It was difficult because he wasn't here today. I know it was."

"Like I told Gwen about her mother, he was there in spirit."

"I'm proud of you, Peter. He was always so proud of you. Both of us knew that you were going to accomplish great things in your lifetime. We're so proud of you, Peter."

"Thanks, Aunt May."

"Well, I better go downstairs. We don't want to have a lot of hungry guests on our hands."

Peter looked at the photograph. One stupid mistake ended his uncle's life. So many stupid mistakes were being made each day and none of them were being stopped. He pulled out the notebook sketch of his wrestling outfit. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Hi, Peter." It was Harry.

"Hi, Harry. What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you how happy I was about you moving into the penthouse. Dad's happy, too. He always looked at you like his second, more brilliant son."

"Harry, you're brilliant."

"No, Peter, you've always been the more brilliant one. Anyway, I know that you'll love the penthouse. I'll see you later." Harry hung up. Aunt May walked in.

"Who was that?"

"Harry. He wanted to talk to me about the penthouse arrangement."

"Norman already told me about it."

"You're going to be all alone, though."

"I can handle it. What other high school graduate gets to spend time with his best friend while learning the rules of the trade from a brilliant and successful businessman?"

"You're sure you can handle being alone?"

"Peter, it would hurt me more to see you give up this opportunity. Well, like I said earlier about hungry guests." May left. Peter was feeling guilty about May. He had never told her about his role in the death of Ben, but now, it would be too much for all of them. He pulled his notebook back out. Now, the wrestling outfit looked like a high school gym outfit. Using a color pencil, he made a couple of altercations to the outfit. Now, it looked like a vigilante's outfit. Peter looked at the notepad sketch and he remembered Ben's words. _Show me what I'm looking for. With great power, comes great responsibility. I've been waiting for you._ Peter started to work on the outfit. Finally, after the graduation party, he took his first spin as Spider-man through the city.


	6. Fatherly Love

**Chapter Six**

_Fatherly Love_

Peter and Gwen were walking near the dock. Suddenly, Peter knew something was wrong. "Stay here, Gwen. I'll be right back."

"Peter, where are you going?"

"Don't worry, I'll be right back." Peter rushed away from her. On the dock, two men were fighting. Suddenly, a web stopped one of the men. Peter, as Spider-man, turned the man around to identify him. However, he wasn't prepared for who the perpetrator of the fight was. "George?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

He had no choice. He had to stop George. However, upon looking at George, he could tell that something was horribly wrong. Peter sedated George and he took him to Secret Hospital, a little-known hospital where strange and unusual things were. However, unbeknownst to Peter, Gwen had watched Spider-man fight George. _He doesn't deserve to be seen as a public hero_, Gwen thought to herself. _Someday, they'll see who Spider-man really is_.

Liz sighed as she pulled the key out of the ignition. Here she was, her brother was getting married, and things would never be the same. She walked up to the house. She was greeted by her father, her brother, and her future sister-in-law. "Liz, you're here, finally! Now, the celebration can begin!" Liz looked at Annie, her future sister-in-law. Annie noticed Liz looking at her.

"Oh, I just got home from work. That's why I look like a businesswoman." Liz turned to her brother. Great, he was marrying a workaholic.

"Jeff, is this what your marriage is going to be like? She's working all the time and she never has time for you or the kids?"

"Liz, give Annie a break. She's not a 24/7 workaholic."

"Liz, how about you come out to the patio with me?" Her father was talking to her. "I think it will do us both some good."

Liz agreed. She went out to the patio with him. He pulled out his guitar. "Dad, I sincerely doubt that you brought me out here for a music lesson."

"You're right. Playing the guitar relaxes me, not you. Look, Liz, it may not seem like it now, but I know that Jeff and Annie are a perfect match."

"C'mon, dad! What makes you say that?"

"Well, I know they're different. Annie is more of a health nut than Jeff is, but both of them are brilliant when it comes to their business. They aren't marrying each other because they're both brilliant. They also aren't marrying each other for the money. Finally, they aren't marrying each other because they totally love their in-laws to death. They're marrying each other because they love each other. That's why they're marrying each other, Liz." Liz smiled. She hugged him.

"You're right."

"I know. I'm always right."

Peter was waiting for George's analysis to be finished at Secret Hospital. The doctor came out. "Mr. George Stacy has just finished being possessed by the OsCorp test pilot."

"What!?"

"The test pilot was dying, and this was his last act. He went insane during a test at OsCorp."

"Norman and Harry Osborn didn't mention anything about this."

"Why would they, son? If your business' test pilot went insane because of one of your tests, you wouldn't be advertising it on the front page of _The Daily Bugle_. You can take George home now. He's still sedated."

For the first time in his life, Peter questioned the morality of the Osborns. Business over a human life? He'd have to think about that later. Right now, he had to bring George home to Gwen.

"Where was he? Where were you?"

"Gwen, don't get excited. Spider-man took him to a hospital to cure him. He told me where he was, so I brought George home when they were finished with him at the hospital."

"You've been talking to Spider-man, that two-face? He could've seriously injured dad."

"Gwen, George was possessed. He would've done more harm than good."

"Peter, just go home. I don't want to hear any more nonsense."

"Gwen…"

"Just go home!"

Liz walked into the living room. Annie was wearing an exercise outfit. "You know, Annie, when I first met you, I thought that you would force Jeff to eat nothing but broccoli."

Annie laughed. "Liz, I don't even like broccoli. C'mon, let's take a walk outside."

Liz joined her outside. Annie looked at her. "Do Jeff and I have your blessing?"

"Of course you do."

"Liz, you were never the number one fan of our marriage."

"I talked to dad today. He changed my mind. I know you love each other and that's all that matters."

Annie smiled. "Thank you, Liz."

"No problem."

George was starting to wake up at his house. "Gwen, where's Peter?"

"He went home, dad. I told him to. You should've heard all of the nonsense that was coming out of his mouth. He said you were possessed…"

"Gwen, it's not nonsense. I was possessed. Spider-man took me to a hospital and Peter brought me home. Peter helped me, Gwen."

"I have to go. I need to see Peter. I have to apologize to him. I treated him horribly." Gwen left. George smiled to himself.

"The world needs more people like Peter Parker."

Liz walked in to see Annie. "Annie, somehow I always knew that you would choose a 1950's long sleeve style wedding dress."

Annie smiled. "It can be warm and cool at the same time. That's the great part about it."

"Welcome to the family." They hugged. "Well, let's get this show on the road. Dad, Jeff, and an enormous audience are waiting for us to start."

Peter heard a knock on the door. He went to open the door. "Gwen? I thought that you never wanted to see me again." Gwen hugged Peter.

"Thanks Peter. I never should've said all of those nasty things to you. Dad confirmed what you said. I'm so sorry." They kissed. Gwen still looked upset.

"Gwen, what's wrong?"

"I was just thinking. I don't want that to be me someday. If I ever act weird or anything, promise me that you'll get me to the hospital you took George to."

"I promise."

"The Osborns are a great family. I can't picture this happening to any of Norman's employees. I'm just in a state of shock. I'm sure that there's a good explanation. I mean, today broke the fourth wall for me. All of these weird things are happening to everybody. I just want life to return to normal."

"It will, Gwen. It will." They hugged again. However, Gwen was still worried.

"I just want to say how proud I am of my son and my daughter-in-law." Robert Richardson stood up proudly with the microphone. "Both of them continue to amaze me. I love both of them and I want them to have the best future possible. God bless them." The crowd cheered. Robert walked over to Liz.

"Great testimony, dad."

"Thanks, Liz. I'll miss Jeff, but I'd rather have him be happy. Do you know what I mean, Liz?"

Liz hugged him. "I know exactly what you mean."


	7. Another Day at the Office

**Chapter Seven**

_Another Day at the Office_

Otto was working on finishing his project. No matter how long it took, he had to finish it. Too many people suffered for him to just throw this project to the side. He had to finish it.

"Both of you deserve a break. Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, I'll be here to fix it." Gwen and Peter looked at George. He might be right. Going sailing seemed like a good idea and George would be on crime watch monitor the whole time…

"Okay, it sounds fun. We'll see you later, George." George grinned. These kids were finally getting the vacation they deserved…

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"You! Don't come back! Ever!" Mary Jane kept walking. Great, that was the second time that happened. She's trying to earn a little money by working at _The Daily Bugle_, but so far, she can barely escape receiving a restraining order.

"I take it the investigative reporting didn't go well?" Mary Jane turned around to see Liz.

"Liz, I know it's a mistake to work at _The Daily Planet_."

"_The Daily Bugle_."

"Whatever. All I know is I'm working there just to earn a little money before I become an actress. However, all of the investigative stories I'm getting end in someone threatening me with a restraining order. I've covered mysterious finance problems in high school and colleges, and do you know what I end up with?"

"A restraining order threat. I know, I know, Mary Jane." Liz knew where there was a really big story breaking, but she didn't want to tell Mary Jane that. "Look, Mary Jane, why don't you interview George Stacy? That would be a great human interest piece."

"I'm sure you're right, Liz. I'll see you later."

"Okay." Liz waited for Mary Jane to leave. Liz went to her car to get the information she gathered on Starwel, the big, mysterious corporation that was suspected of making bombs. This is going to be a great _Daily Bugle_ story, she thought to herself as she drove there.

"You know, Gwen, I'm really glad that we went sailing. George is right. Nothing strange is going to happen today. This is the perfect day to go sailing."

"Peter, nothing out of the normal is going to happen today. Today's going to be a great day."

George heard a knock at the door. "Hi, Mary Jane, what are you doing here? Peter and Gwen aren't here. They went sailing."

"That's okay. I'm here to interview you for _The Daily Bugle_."

"Mary Jane, I can't give out classified police information."

"I'm not here to play secret detective. I'm here for a human interest story. You have a really nice house. It's breathtaking to look at." Mary Jane looked at a big photograph above the fireplace. "Is that your wife?"

"Yes, it is. Look, Mary Jane, I really can't talk now. It's very important. My attention has to be focused on protecting the city."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you."

Liz got out of her car. She looked at the place. Using her hacking skills, this should be an easy place to get into. She took her coat off. She climbed up using their old, unstable, fire escape. She threw her coat through the window. Inside, she started to look around. Suddenly, she felt a pain in the back of her neck. After a few seconds, she passed out.

Peter knew something was wrong due to his spider sense. "Gwen, I need to leave."

"Peter, we're in the middle of nowhere. Why do you have to leave now?"

"Nature's calling."

George immediately got up. "Where are you going?" Mary Jane trailed after him.

"Mary Jane, something's wrong. Stay here." Mary Jane stayed put for a couple of seconds, however, she soon followed him.

Liz was worried. Here she was, tied to a chair in the middle of nowhere, and a bomb was about to go off at any second. Great, just great. She looked up to see Spider-man. "Who are you?"

"I need you to trust me. I'm going to get you out of here."

"You're just going to get yourself killed. Save yourself."

"We'll be okay. Just listen to me."

"Liz?" They turned around. Mary Jane was standing there with a flashlight.

"Mary Jane, what are you doing here?"

"George is here. I was interviewing him, remember?"

Liz was still partly sedated, so she just smiled weakly. Spider-man looked at Mary Jane. "Get out of here. Go back down the fire escape. Your friend will be okay." Mary Jane left. He picked Liz up.

"George?" Mary Jane was running down the fire escape when she saw George. "George, you'll never believe it. George, AAAHHHH!" She screamed as the fire escape broke. George scrambled to try to reach her in time. Before he even reached her, a web caught her shoulder, and it laid her on the ground gently.

"Thanks for taking me to Secret Hospital!" George smiled as he looked up at him. Spider-man than transported all of them to a safe distance away from the building. George, Liz and Mary Jane stood there. The building exploded to little pieces.

"That's the first and last time I'll ever see something get blown up right in front of my own face."

"What about your _Daily Bugle_ career?"

"I don't care about _The Daily Bugle_. J. Jonah Jameson is a cheapskate. If he could get away with letting the staff use typewriters, he would."

"Mary Jane, you're already getting used to this city. Exploding buildings and jerk newspaper bosses are the norm around here."

"Very funny, Liz."

Gwen was waiting for all of them in the living room of her house. "What happened? Is everybody okay? That was some building explosion. Peter, where were you?"

"Gwen, I found a place to use the bathroom and George, Liz, and Mary Jane gave me a ride home."

"Gwen, you should've seen this Spider-man guy who Jameson loves to taunt on the front page of _The Daily Bugle_. He's amazing. I don't know why Jameson hates him."

"Liz, when are you ever going to get out of fairy tale land?"

"I don't know, Gwen."

"I'm quitting my job at _The Daily Planet_."

"_The Daily Bugle_!"

"_Planet, Bugle_, what's the difference? Both feature jerk newspaper bosses, desperate for money writers, the love interest, and a feisty girl Friday."

"Mary Jane!"

"I have to quit that place. My jeans are dusty from the explosion."

"Peter, I'm glad that things are back to normal."

"George, that was just another day at the office." Peter smiled.


	8. Number One Fan

**Chapter Eight**

_Number One Fan_

Sally Avril was getting impatient. She was going to meet Jason in five minutes. If she had to wait for this clerk one more minute… "Are you done talking on the phone yet?" The clerk looked at her.

"I'm sick and tired of impatient customers. This is important. It's the score to yesterday's game." Just as Sally was about to give him a piece of her mind, two masked gunmen ran in.

"Both of you! Don't move! Give us the money!" Someone ran in after them. Within five seconds, both of the would-be robbers were tied up on the ground. Sally looked amazed. She turned around to see who he was.

"Spider-man!?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Spider-man swung away. Sally looked at her watch. It's time to see Jason, she thought to herself. She walked to the restaurant that they were going to meet at. "Jason, you'll never believe what happened today! I was in that store, the one with the clerk who's a snob, and Spider-man stopped two men from robbing the place. He's incredible!

Jason laughed. "Spider-man, huh? He sounds like a guy I would try to imitate when I was four years old."

"Jason Ionello, that's not funny."

"Look, Sally, this is just one of these muscle men who think they know everything. Flash was one of those. He's not amazing."

"He's different than Flash. He's using his powers to save people, not show off."

"Sally, I'm still not a fan of the muscle men. I get your point, but I don't want you to become crazy about something that has unequal ethnicities. It's not just us. Several other ethnicities don't even get represented in comic books. Back in the early days, they were even characterized as villains to these muscle men. I respect what you're saying, I really do. I'm just not going to become Spider-man's number one fan anytime soon."

Sally sighed. She didn't want to argue with her fiancé. She wanted to change the subject. "Let's work on our engagement dinner party plans."

"That sounds like an excellent idea."

Sally saw Gwen working at a local restaurant. "Gwen, what do you think about Spider-man?"

"Sally, the real heroes are people like our police officers. Dad protects the people every day. He's willing to do it, even if it means risking his own life. They are our heroes. Men in tights jumping from building to building are just circus clowns."

Sally was disappointed. Everybody had a distorted view, thanks to _The Daily Bugle_. "Gwen, Spider-man is more than just a man in tights."

Gwen sighed. "Sally, I have to work. I want to earn a little extra money. You're a good friend, but I don't have time for this right now."

Sally left the restaurant. There had to be somebody she could talk to. What about Liz? She walked over to Liz's apartment. Liz was sitting on her front step. "Hi, Sally, what's up?"

"Liz, what do you think about Spider-man?"

"He's brilliant. Who else is willing to risk their life to save somebody? He puts everybody before himself."

"Finally, somebody who thinks like I do. Jason and Gwen won't listen to me. They have their preconceived notions about Spider-man."

"Don't worry, Sally. Everybody will realize how great he is." Liz looked worried.

"Liz, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Ever since I found out about Spider-man, my stress level has gone up. I'm worried that more nutcases will try to fight him and one day, some nutcase might kill him."

Sally was quiet. He had seemed like a fairy tale up until this moment. "Liz, I have to see Mary Jane. We're making plans for tomorrow night's engagement dinner." Mary Jane's response surprised Sally.

"I think he's great. I am worried about him getting himself killed, but the city needs somebody like him."

"MJ, out of all of the people I talked to, you shared my viewpoint the most."

"George Stacy loves the guy and Aunt May can't stand him. Two of the nicest people in the world have different viewpoints about him."

"I thought Aunt May loved everybody." She looked at her watch. "Wow! It's getting late, MJ. I have to go."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Sally was walking down the street. Suddenly, a car flipped over. Just as it was about to land on herself and other people, the car was stopped. Otto was walking the other direction. A web clung to the car. While the rest of the crowd stopped in amazement, Sally got into her car. She drove towards where Spider-man was going. Finally, he stopped. Not realizing that he was being followed, he took his mask off. "Peter?"

"Don't tell anybody, Sally. Not even Liz."

"That's not fair to Liz."

"Sally, please don't tell her."

"Did Octavius flip that car over?"

"Yes. Sally, please don't tell Liz. I'm begging you. Please."

"Peter…"

"It'll only add extra stress to her that she doesn't need."

"I won't tell her."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Wait, won't she be able to put two and two together? She knows about your abilities…"

"She thinks somebody else got bit by the radioactive spider. Don't tell her."

Peter left Sally. Sally was still standing there in a state of amazement.

"Everybody, I am the luckiest man in this room." The crowd cheered Jason on. "I managed to find the greatest woman on Earth." Sally hugged him. Both of their eyes sparkled. I'm very lucky to have found Peter, Gwen thought to herself. Gwen smiled at Peter. Peter smiled back. Liz was there, Mary Jane was there, everybody who cared about Sally and Jason was there. Nobody could predict the tragedy that was facing Sally and Jason.

The next day, Sally took a drive to Secret Hospital. "Miss Avril, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm positive. My fiancé's right. I want to make a difference."

"Okay. Bluebird #06522 is ready."

Sally smiled. She opened up the wardrobe. "This is the outfit, right?"

"Yes it is."

"It's perfect." He handed her an earpiece microphone.

"You need to confirm that you're ready."

She smiled. "Bluebird is officially ready."


	9. Police Banquet

**Chapter Nine**

_Police Banquet_

Peter and Mary Jane were waiting for George. Whatever was holding him was taking forever… "I'm sorry. The arrangements for tomorrow night's police banquet seem to be taking forever."

"That's okay, George. We understand."

"George, we need your help out here!"

"I'm sorry, Peter and Mary Jane, but I'm going to have to talk to you later."

They followed George out to where the commotion was. They saw a young, blonde-haired woman on the bench. "George, she turned herself in. She's Dawn Darrow, the serial arsonist that we've been after." The woman looked up. Her attention was turned on Mary Jane. Peter whispered to Mary Jane.

"What do you think, MJ?"

Mary Jane whispered back. "I don't know, Pete. She looks like a disgruntled prom queen."

The woman's eyes turned silver. Mary Jane was now totally focused on her. Suddenly, the woman passed out. Now, Mary Jane had a disgruntled look in her eye.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"What's your name?"

"C'mon, Mary Jane, get serious."

"Oh, yeah, it's Pete."

"Let's get out of here."

"Pete, I want you to be my date for tonight."

"What?"

"For the police banquet. Gwen won't mind. She'll be too busy honoring Daddy Warbucks. C'mon, it'll be fun."

"I'll check with her, first."

"Thank you, Pete."

Peter went over to Gwen's house. "Uh, Gwen, Mary Jane wants me to be her date for the banquet."

"Peter, what?"

"She's been acting weird ever since she left the police station. I thought if I obliged, I might find out why she's been acting so weird."

"Peter, just go. I can't take any more nonsense. Mary Jane is probably acting weird just so you'll take her. I can't believe that you would listen to her. Just go."

"Welcome to the annual police banquet. As mayor of our great city, I would like to honor a particular member of the staff, Captain George Stacy."

Liz walked over to Peter. "Peter, why is Mary Jane your date?"

"It's a long story."

"It must be. Gwen is pretty upset with you."

"It'll be okay."

"Liz, you look great tonight. Your blonde hair looks great tonight." Mary Jane looked at Liz. "Let me really look at you." Mary Jane's eyes lost their silver look for the first time today. Now, Liz's eyes looked silver.

"Peter, I'm going to talk to Gwen."

"I'll see you later, Liz."

Suddenly, Mary Jane started to collapse. Peter caught her with his arm. Mary Jane looked confused. "Peter, are we at the police banquet? Why am I your date?" Peter knew that something was terribly wrong.

Gwen was excited to see her best friend. "Liz, I'm so glad you're here!"

"Gwen, I want this memory to last for a lifetime. I want to take a picture." Liz collapsed onto the floor. Peter raced to her.

"Liz, are you okay?"

"Peter, that was weird. I'm not sure what happened, but it was weird."

"Liz, you'll probably be putting tonight's banquet in your weird files."

The mayor of Andersonton stood back up. "I would like to introduce to you someone very special to the police captain. She's supported him always, she's supported Andersonton and New York, and most of all, she's supported her father through the years. I would like to introduce to you Miss Gwendolyn Stacy." The crowd applauded. Gwen grasped the microphone. George and the mayor were standing right behind her. She smiled at the crowd. Peter became nervous as soon as he saw her eyes were silver.

"Thank you. What can I say about dad? He's been great through the years, protecting all of you, and the city loves him. I can guarantee that George's legacy will live forever." The crowd cheered. Peter knew this wasn't Gwen. Gwen's attitude wasn't this cocky. Peter's spider sense started to kick in. Gwen waited until the applause was over. "I can also guarantee that this banquet will be the hottest event of the year." Suddenly, the fire alarm went off. "Literally." Gwen left the stage. A mob of people were trying to get out. Peter raced after Gwen. George stopped him.

"Get your friend to take Gwen to Secret Hospital."

"George, we need all the time we can get. Where is she?"

"On the roof."

Peter quickly changed into the Spider-man suit. He swung up on the roof. "Don't you know anything, you little arachnid? You're not supposed to fight women. Besides, you'd never hurt your girlfriend. That's why I chose her." She smiled at Peter as she taunted him. Peter walked towards her.

"Maybe." He sedated her. "I can take her to Secret Hospital."

Peter waited at Secret Hospital. The doctor came out. "Boy, what is it with this family? All of them are hostesses for evil."

"How is Gwen doing?"

"She's fine. You can take her back to George."

Back at her house, Gwen smiled at Peter. "Thanks Peter. I never should have yelled at you earlier. I mean, you knew that there was something wrong with Mary Jane. I should have trusted your judgment."

"That's okay, Gwen. You didn't know." They hugged. "I'm going to talk to George." Peter walked down the steps. George was in the study.

"Peter, I keep trying to figure out who Spider-man is."

"You know what they say, George, curiosity killed the cat."

"This guy saved Gwen and I. I'm a little curious."

"Why are you curious?"

"Why wouldn't I be curious? He helps the police, he saves lives, and even in my old age, it's a relief to know that there's a hero out there."

"George, you're not that old."

"I'm not a spring chicken, either. I'd like to have the opportunity to thank the guy."

"I'll see what I can do." Peter turned around. He was getting ready to leave, when...

"Peter."

"Yes, George?"

"I want to tell Spider-man thank you personally. If you could set that up…"

"I'm sure he already knows, George."


	10. Sail on, Bluebird

**Chapter Ten**

_Sail on, Bluebird_

Peter was flying through the city. Great, he thought to himself. Tonight's going to be another late night. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A jewelry store was being robbed. He landed in the store's parking lot. Going after all of the robbers would be too much of a feat, he thought to himself. A fast-moving blur stopped the men. Peter used this opportunity to create a web around the robbers. Once the police came, Peter looked up at the building next to the jewelry store. Someone was perched on the building. They looked at Peter. When they removed their mask, Peter was shocked. "Sally Avril?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Sally flew away. Peter went after her. Finally, he caught up with her. "Sally, what is this about?"

"Peter, I wanted to make a difference."

"Sally, you said the same thing in freshmen year. You wanted to be a gymnast."

"That was short-lived. A broken bone woke me up."

"Then, why do you want to do this?"

"I'm making a difference in the lives of people. I admire what you did. You're doing something with your life. I'm determined to do something with my life." She flew away. Peter looked up at Sally. Bluebird, he thought to himself. I thought that I was the only building jumping, tights wearing maniac out there.

"Hey, Sally, what's up?" Liz smiled at Sally as she walked over to the bench.

"Liz, I feel completely different. I'm engaged, and I'm making a difference with my life. It feels great."

"Sally, I'm happy for you. Although, I'm not engaged, and I'm not exactly making a huge difference in my life."

Sally grabbed Liz's hand. "You will, Liz. You will. Why don't you meet me this evening? I want to show you something. You'll be amazed."

"Okay, Sally."

Liz met Sally that night. "Okay, Sally, what do you want to show me?"

"C'mon, Liz, let's take a ride through the city."

"Where's your car?"

"Put your arms around my neck."

"What!?"

"Put your arms around my neck. Trust me on this." Liz grabbed on to Sally. Sally transformed into Bluebird. "

"Sally, what is this!?"

"Surprise, Liz."

"You're Bluebird!?"

"Talk about a ride around the city."

Sally stopped at an empty street. "Liz, stay with me. You're about to be amazed." Suddenly, a runaway vehicle came out of nowhere. Spider-man came down and he stopped the vehicle. Thinking that nobody was going to see him, he took his mask off. Liz gasped.

"Peter…"

Peter felt so awkward that he swung away without saying anything. Liz turned to Sally. "Is it…"

"It's true, Liz. Come with me and I'll explain the whole thing to you."

As soon as Sally opened her mouth, she knew something was wrong. "Liz, why don't you talk to Peter? He can give you more information than I can. I have to go. It's Jason. I know it is."

Sally flew off. She saw Jason. She flew down. "Jason, what's wrong?"

"Sally… Sally… you're… you're… Bluebird?"

"Yes."

"Sally, we have to get out of here. Quick, drive my car."

"Jason, what happened?"

"Do you remember that company expose I wrote for _The Daily Bugle_?"

"Yes. What does that have to do with the price of eggs?"

"The CEO's chasing me."

"Let's get out of here."

Sally drove his car. They went over a bridge. Suddenly, something hit them. "Jason, what was that?"

"The CEO's car."

The strength of the hit caused the car to go over the side of the bridge.

"Sally, I want you to know that you're amazing, and I love you."

"No, Jason, you're amazing, and I love you."

Liz looked up at Peter. "Peter, why didn't you tell me you were Spider-man?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

"What's there to worry about?"

The phone rang. Peter picked it up. Liz waited anxiously for the call to be over. Peter hung up the phone. "Well, Peter, can we get back to our conversation? What's there to worry about?"

"Liz, Sally and Jason died." Tears streamed down his face.

"Sally Jane Avril and Jason Thomas Ionello died trying to protect the public." The funeral was a host of mixed emotions. Afterwards, Gwen walked over to Peter.

"Peter, I knew that Spider-man was a bad influence. I mean, Sally tried to imitate him. She had the costume and the weird animal name. All of this led to the death of Sally and Jason. Spider-man's a bad influence."

"Oh, yeah, Gwen, and police officers don't take the same risk?" Both of them looked up to see Mary Jane. "George or any of the police officers can die trying to protect the public. There's no difference. So, please, don't blame their death on Sally's occupation."

"George Stacy is a man of honor. He's not some circus clown who thinks that he can perform dangerous stunts." Gwen turned to Peter. "Peter, I can't take anymore from Mary Jane today. Not today. I just lost two of my best friends, and she's trying to turn this into a pointless debate club." Gwen left. Peter turned to Mary Jane.

"MJ, I'm sorry. Gwen is just a little touchy, that's all. I'm sure everybody appreciates your opinion. I do."

Mary Jane looked like she was going to say something. Finally, she looked uncomfortable. "I have to go, Peter."

George turned to Peter. "It's a tragedy, isn't it? Two people who were trying to protect the public lost their lives. I have to make sure Gwen is okay."

"I'll see you later, George.'

Peter walked over to the gravesite. Aunt May came over. "I agree with Gwen, Peter. He's a bad influence and he's convincing anybody that they can do any dangerous stunt, even if it means losing their life. However, let's not talk about him. Today is a day of honoring the memory of Sally and Jason. It's not a day to bash Spider-man."

Liz walked over to where Peter was. She looked at the gravesite. "Terrible day for a funeral, isn't it? It's rainy and dreary."

"Liz, why don't you just say what's on your mind?"

"Do you believe that this Spider-man thing is your prophecy and legacy?"

"I know it is."

"Look, Peter, I miss Sally and Jason terribly. I came over to offer my condolences to you."

"Thanks Liz."

"I also know that one day; you'll be able to give Spider-man up. The city will be safe again, one day. On that day, all of my worries will be gone."

"You mean you worry about me being Spider-man?"

"Spider-man is more like a heavy weight on my shoulders."

"Liz, I can't give it up. I'm sorry."

Liz looked at him. "I understand." She walked away, leaving him alone at the gravesite.


	11. The Third Party

**Chapter Eleven**

_The Third Party_

Liz was looking at a newspaper article. Gwen walked in. "Liz, you wanted to see me about something? What is it?"

"One of the theater performers was murdered last night."

"That's too bad. Is that why you called me over here?"

"I wanted to see if you had heard any information about it."

"Since I'm the police captain's daughter… right?"

"That's right."

"Liz, you always want somebody to be behind the scenes so you can get the real scoop."

"Wait a minute…"

"Liz, what are you thinking?"

"I want to get the real story. It'll be a great _Daily Bugle_ article. I do need somebody behind the scenes." Liz looked at a photo of Mary Jane. "I know who that's going to be."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz went over to Mary Jane's apartment. "Mary Jane, you have to do this. It would really help out Spider-man." Liz was still angry about the death of Sally and Jason. "C'mon, Mary Jane, it would really help him out."

"Well, okay. I guess if a little investigative acting helps him out, I'm game."

"Perfect! Come with me!"

"I'm sorry, the theater is closed." Both of them looked at the person in the booth.

"Oh, we're not here to view a show. We're here because Jane Mary, my friend needs a job." The woman looked at them.

"Please, come in." Once they were past the woman, both of them started to whisper.

"Jane Mary?"

"It was the best I could come up with. Here's the plan: you're going to audition while I interview the other performers."

Both of them walked over to the audition stage. "I'm here to see my friend, Jane Mary, audition."

"Yes, I'm here to audition. I can break the audience's heart."

Liz rolled her eyes. She left Mary Jane. She had to interview the other performers. "Excuse me; did any of you know Robin Dawes?"

"Know her? She was my best friend." Liz looked up to see a woman around her age. "Hi, I'm Meredith Vale."

"I'm Eliza Sullivan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Why do you want to know about Robin? You're not another unjustified, unemotional reporter are you?"

Liz struggled for the right words. "I'm writing a tribute for _The Daily Bugle_."

"I thought the tribute writer for the _Bugle_ was Ana Banner."

"Ana's on vacation."

"A tribute writer is different than a reporter. Tribute writers have emotion. Especially that one reporter… who is she? She's always emotionless and she just does things to get a great scoop. Ah, Liz Richardson is her name. The things that she does just for a great story…" Meredith went on to something else. "It looks like your friend is giving quite the audition."

Liz turned around. Mary Jane was putting all of her heart and soul into it. If Liz didn't know any better, she would've actually thought that Mary Jane was auditioning. Liz noticed that the custodian was watching Mary Jane. He's probably just bored, she thought to herself. Liz looked at Meredith again. Another surprise was awaiting her. "Gwen?"

"Liz?"

Meredith spoke up. "Hold on, her name is Wanda and your name is Eliza. What's with Gwen and Liz?"

Both of them were nervous. "Did we say Gwen and Liz? We don't think we did. Our names our Wanda and Eliza."

"You know each other?" Meredith was amazed that they knew each other.

Gwen spoke up. "It's a long story."

"It's a really long story."

Suddenly, the lights went off in the theater. They heard Mary Jane scream. "Well, Meredith, it's been great but we have to be going." The lights came back on. When Meredith looked around, all three of them were gone.

Liz was racing to get to Peter's house. "Why Peter? He can't help anything."

"Gwen, trust me on this. He can help us."

When they arrived at Peter's house, he was already gone. "I wonder where Peter is."

"Gwen, he's probably at the library." As Liz said this, she felt bad. She knew it wasn't true. However, she knew that the truth would be too difficult for Gwen to handle. Sometimes, it was even difficult for Liz to handle.

Peter raced to get to the theater. As Spider-man, he swung down to the custodian room. "Let me guess, you're her boyfriend?"

"You're totally wrong on that one. You're the theater killer?"

"You're totally right on that one." As the custodian showed Peter his knife, a web caught the knife.

"Kitchen cutlery is fine for the kitchen. However, it's not fine for the theater."

"How would you like me to rip off all eight of your limbs?"

"How would you like to meet George Stacy?"

"Who?"

"You're going to find out right now." George rushed in.

"Make sure that Miss Watson is okay, Spider-man. I'll arrest him."

Peter walked over to Mary Jane. She had a couple of bruises and a couple of cuts, but she was fine for the most part. She looked up at him. "Thanks."

After Mary Jane went home to rest and George took care of the custodian, Peter went over to talk to Liz and Gwen. "Gwen, I understand you. You were upset over the death of Sally and Jason, so that's why you risked putting Mary Jane in harm's way. You wanted to teach Spider-man a lesson. Now, I want to talk to Liz privately. Will you excuse us, Gwen?" Gwen left. Peter looked at Liz angrily.

"What were you thinking?"

"I didn't do anything to her, Peter."

"So, you put Mary Jane in harm's way and I'm supposed to be okay with that?

"Look, Peter, ever since you became Spider-man, you and Mary Jane have become each other's number one fan. I just don't want Gwen and I to be lost in the shuffle."

"Look, Liz, both of us were going through severe emotional changes. We understood each other. I'm sorry for the death of Sally and Jason, I really am."

"Peter, I've been the only one who's harbored your secret. I just have this feeling that we're going to sacrifice a lot more to protect the public."

"We will, Liz. Sally died for the protection of the public. As long as everybody is together for the right purpose, everything will be all right."

"Peter, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Liz."

"I know that you're doing the right thing."

"Liz, this is the first time you've supported me about Spider-man since you heard about it."

"When I talked to you, you made me realize that this was for the good of the public. I'm very proud of you, Peter and I'll happy just to be a small part of your life."

"I feel the same way about you, Liz."

"Peter, one more thing. If it comes down to protecting the public or protecting me, protect the public."

"Liz…"

"It could happen."

"Liz, it'll never happen."


	12. The New Roommate

**Chapter Twelve**

_The New Roommate _

Liz was looking at her potential roommate. Her potential roommate seemed interested in the apartment. Finally, after being silent for about thirty seconds, her potential roommate spoke up. "What are those?" Liz looked at where she was pointing to.

"Oh, those are my weird files. That's my ongoing record of anything weird that happens."

"Really. Uh, well, it was nice meeting you." Within five seconds, Liz's potential roommate drove away. Liz was feeling defeated until the doorbell rang.

"Gwen!?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Gwen, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here with boxes. I'm ready to move in."

"That s great! Here, let me help you." Liz started to help Gwen with the boxes. "So, how are the _Daily Planet_ expedition plans coming?"

"They're going great. You're coming, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Wait, Liz, this is only half of my stuff. I have to run over to the house to get the other half. I'll be back."

"Okay." One of my best friends is going to be my roommate, Liz thought to herself. That's awesome. Liz's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. "Gwen, you're back already… Hello, who are you?"

"I'm here to view the apartment."

"Sorry, all of it is already rented."

The woman looked at Liz. "That's fine, but I'm afraid that you're making a big mistake. Surely, I'm the best roommate for this place."

"I'm sorry; the place has already been rented." Liz closed the door. She felt weird after closing the door, but she thought it was nothing.

Peter saw Gwen going to Liz's place with a bunch of boxes. "Gwen, did you rent half of Liz's apartment?"

"Yes I did. It's the perfect deal. It doesn't cost that much and I get to be with one of my very best friends."

"Do you need any help?"

"I do need some help with the boxes. Would you mind?"

"No, I wouldn't. I always look forward to the chance to hang out with you and Liz."

Gwen knocked on Liz's door. Finally, after waiting a while, Gwen tried the door. "Peter, the door's open. I'll go in first. Could you get the rest of the stuff out of the car?"

"Sure. I'll be there in a minute."

Gwen walked into the apartment. She started to put stuff down on the counter. Suddenly, she was pushed against the wall. "Liz, are you okay?" Liz didn't answer her. She lunged at her again. Gwen ran to the bathroom. Once Gwen was in the bathroom, she locked herself in. The shower head was turned on. It was spraying in all directions. After a few desperate attempts to turn the shower head off, Gwen heard something slam against the door. The door fell down. Liz emerged from the hallway. She smiled at Gwen. Gwen felt a slight pain. She looked up at the roof before she fainted. After Gwen was completely sedated, he sedated Liz.

"What happened," Peter asked the doctor of secret hospital.

"Parker, your family and friends have some of the weirdest inhabitants I've ever seen. This one just turned out to be a psychotic woman who was angry that she didn't get the place. You can take Liz now."

"Wow, Peter, talk about an angry potential renter!" Liz smiled at him. "Thanks Peter."

"No problem. What was your first potential renter like?"

"She was scared off by my weird files."

"So, you had somebody who didn't understand your personality and you had an insane maniac? I can see why you chose Gwen."

"Peter, why don't you tell Gwen your secret? She's your girlfriend. She has more of a right to know than I do."

"Liz, she can't handle my secret. Especially after the death of Sally and Jason, she'll think that what I'm doing is dangerous and potentially deadly. She'll also think it's stupid. Gwen thinks that her father is the only one who can truly protect the city. It's better if she doesn't know the truth."

"Okay, Peter, your secret is your secret."

"Thanks for understanding, Liz."

"There are my two favorite people." Gwen smiled at them as she walked into the room. "It's time to work on the _Daily Planet_ expedition plans."

"Going to a few worldly spots that Jameson chose is what we call a vacation."

"I know, Liz. I'm lucky just to come along. The only reason I get to come is because George is head of security for the trip."

"I guess we better pack. We'll see you later, Peter."

"Okay, I'll see you two later."

Peter swung up to Secret Hospital. "Do you have another one for me, Parker?"

"No, this time, it's about a potential job opportunity. I understand that you also teach university students."

"That's right."

"I also understand that you're looking for help with your classroom during the summer right?"

"That's right. What are you proposing, Parker?"

"Well, it's already early August, and I think I have the scientific credentials that you're looking for. I'm going to be a student there this coming school year."

"Keep talking, Parker."

"Well, I think I could be a good applicant for the job. First off, what's your name?"

He looked at him. "Dr. Connors."

"Great view, Gwen. Isn't that a great view?"

"That is a great view, dad."

"Gwen, do you know anything I can write about this place?"

"No, I don't, Gwen."

"Peter, isn't this place incredible?"

"Yes it is, Gwen."

"Peter, have you taken any pictures yet?"

"Not yet, Liz."

"Parker! Wake up and snap a couple of good pictures! I don't want any nature shots! If I wanted to see nature, I'd just take the subway!"

"Yes, Mr. Jameson."


	13. Rich Boy, Poor Boy

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Rich Boy, Poor Boy_

Harry looked at Peter as he was entering into the room. "Peter, you're late. What's wrong?"

"Dr. Connors keeps threatening to fire me. He has very little faith in me."

"That's too bad, Peter. Dr. Connors, huh? At least you went right to the top when you chose your science geek job for the year."

"Very funny, Peter."

"Hi, Peter and Harry." Mary Jane walked into the room. "Did I ever tell you two that you had a strange friendship?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Pete, Harry's this rich kid, and you're this poor kid. It's like something you would expect to see on the movie of the week."

"Unbelievable." Norman walked into the room with a copy of _The Daily Bugle_. "Some guy for the _Bugle_ is the only one that can take pictures of the nutty Spider-man. I wonder who that photographer is."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Well, it's been fun, everybody, but we have to go." Mary Jane and Peter exited.

"Peter, can I talk to you about something?"

"What, MJ?"

"I'm curious as to how you and Harry met."

"It's simple. We went to the same school together."

"I think there's more to it than that. There has to be."

"Harry needed somebody to talk to because his dad was a prototype businessman who never had time for his son."

"Norman still doesn't have time for Harry."

"I'm sure that he tries to make the time, but he runs a successful business. Any successful businessman knows that a successful business has to be a major part of their life."

"More major than their son?"

"MJ, Norman loves Harry. I know he does."

"Why did you need Harry?"

"I just wanted somebody to talk to who was my own age."

"Anyone knows that you two had different lifestyles growing up."

"MJ, the diameter or appearance of your house doesn't make or break a friendship. Harry was a lonely kid. When I went over there, Harry would usually be sitting alone on the sofa, thinking that his dad's business was more important than he was. Also, Harry was constantly in front of the cameras, so his dad's business problems suddenly became his problems. Let me tell you a story about how Harry views his dad. Liz and Gwen were coming over to Harry's house. We were having one of our social outings…"

"Harry, c'mon! They're going to be here any minute!"

"Okay, Peter. I'm hurrying. Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure."

"I'm puzzled by my dad. He's this wealthy businessman, yet he wants me to trust him when the media barely trusts him. He also expects loyalty and respect, however, when I have a problem, I usually come to you. He also wants love, but how can you love somebody who's never there? I don't know what to do."

"Harry… I'm just glad that you have me to talk to. C'mon, Gwen and Liz are here."

Mary Jane listened to this silently. "I should've listened to Harry more. He looked so disappointed in me. However, I don't think either of us was willing to discuss the topic at hand. Here's another great example of the Normans. I was going over to their house. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table…"

"Harry, what happened this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, I can tell that you're down in the dumps."

"In a media interview, they wanted to find out where I was planning on attending college. When I mentioned that I was going to stay here, the media freaked out. Then, dad freaked out."

"What's wrong with attending college here?"

"My thoughts exactly. The son of Norman Osborn has to go to a prestigious, well-known college. He should never stay here to go to college. The two theories are that I either want to ruin my father or cause him public embarrassment."

"So, which one is it?"

"Very funny, Peter."

"Harry, your dad's business has nothing to do with where you go to school. That's his business, not your business."

"Thanks Peter."

Mary Jane looked at Peter. "Wow, Harry has this legacy of prophecy and fulfillment that everybody expects him to look up to. Talk about little freedom. When I first came here, I didn't like the Osborns. I thought they were this rich society family who were snobs. My first impression was wrong. They wouldn't hurt anybody."

"Actually, you're wrong about that. Harry had been a victim of an accident in his dad's lab. I was going over to their house…"

"Harry, Harry, are you here? Oh, there you are. What's wrong? Harry, this isn't funny. Oh, everything's going dim…"

"Peter, I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to push you against that glass."

"Harry, the diagnosis at Secret Hospital claimed that you were a victim of an unfortunate accident in your dad's laboratory. It's okay. I completely understand."

"Secret Hospital, huh? Some secret since everybody knows about it."

"It just opened. Not exactly your normal hospital, huh?"

"No, they take care of the weirdest problems I've ever heard of."

"Still, there's a lot to be grateful for."

"I'm still sorry about that. I promise you, Peter, no one in my family is a murderer and no one will ever be a murderer."

"I know, Harry. A murderer would've finished the job."

"Thanks for being there for me, Peter."

"You're welcome, Harry."

Mary Jane looked at Peter. "You and Harry have been through a lot. I'm surprised that your friendship survived all of that."

"We're practically unsinkable."

"That's what they said about the Titanic."

Peter started to laugh until he looked at her face. "You're not joking."

"Well, Peter, I'm just worried that the friendship between you and Harry will burst into flames one day."

"Don't worry, Mary Jane, it will never happen."

"Okay, Caesar."

"Mary Jane, Harry is not suddenly going to become Brutus one day. Our friendship will last."

Mary Jane looked worried for a second. She walked away from Peter. He tried to laugh it off to himself. However, he was still thinking about it was he went to bed that night.

"Hi, Peter."

"Spider-man! You're the one who killed my father!"

"Harry, what are you talking about? Norman is alive!"

"He was alive until you got to him. You little, miserable arachnid deserve to die!"

Peter woke up from his nightmare.


	14. Someone to Help

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Someone to Help_

Mary Jane was driving along the road. A heavy rain was disturbing her view of the road. I can't see a thing, she thought to herself. I'm going to have to pull over. She pulled over on the road. A white object was lying in the road way. She got out to see what it was. Within a couple of feet, she could tell that the object was a person. She looked at the person. "Peter!?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

He was lying motionless on the ground. The rain was starting to lighten up a little. She carried Peter to her car. Not knowing what else to do, she drove to Secret Hospital. "Your friend will be fine, hopefully."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He has a 24 hour disease. Apparently, some mysterious parasite attacked his body. By the end of the 24 hours, we'll be able to tell if he's going to make it or not. Now, if you'll excuse me, Miss Watson, I'm going to study the parasite to try to determine what it is."

"Thank you, Dr. Connors."

Mary Jane drove over to May's house. She knocked on her door. "May, it's Mary Jane. Something's wrong with Peter! Come quick!"

"Oh, Peter. Oh, Peter." May grabbed him. "Mary Jane, help me lift him into the house." When Peter was settled, May turned to Mary Jane. "I've lost Ben, and now, I'm going to lose Peter. I don't know if I can take it." Mary Jane hugged May while May cried.

"It's going to be okay, Aunt May. It's going to be okay."

Liz came over when she heard what had happened. "How's Peter doing?"

"He's resting. We can only hope for the best."

"He's a little trooper, isn't he?"

"Liz, you aren't taking this very seriously."

"I'm sorry, Mary Jane." Liz's eyes started to well up. "I try to act like everything's okay to control my emotions and the situation."

"He's going to be okay, Liz. How come… forget it. It's a silly question."

"What?"

"How come you and Peter were never a couple?"

Liz laughed. "I went through this phase during semester one of my freshmen year of high school where I thought we would be a great couple. Anywhere we went, I constantly took pictures of the two of us."

"Where are those pictures now?"

"I was so embarrassed. I deleted almost all of the pictures. I only saved one picture."

"Which one is that?"

"Oh, we're standing together in front of a locker and both of us look like we're ready to fulfill our destiny. It's more of a friendship picture than a relationship picture. That's why I kept it. I also kept it in case I forget who Peter is."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. It'll never happen." Liz turned to look at Peter.

"So when did Gwen come into the picture? I bet it was a storybook romance complete with love at first sight."

"Try hate at first sight."

"Peter and Gwen didn't love each other from the beginning?"

"Originally, he thought that she was a dumb blonde and she thought that he was a boring bookworm."

"Then, how did they end up together?"

"In their case, love conquered over the stereotypes."

"Gwen… Gwen…" Peter's speech was slow.

"I'm going to call Gwen. Peter wants to see her." Liz got up. Mary Jane turned around to look at him. Liz looked at Mary Jane's facial expression. She loves him, she thought to herself.

Mary Jane received another call from Secret Hospital. "May, I have to go. Let me know if there's any change."

"It's a miracle that your friend didn't die. He must've had a weird genetic condition or something that protected him from this parasite."

"Peter Parker with a weird genetic condtion? Please, it could never happen."

"Luckily, he's going to be fine."

"Is there anything to prevent this from happening in the future?"

"Your friend is immune to it now. The real risk is the people who are not immune to it. Your friend is special. He must be if he survived that."

"Thank you, Dr. Connors."

Mary Jane went back to May's house with the good news. "He's going to be okay!? Oh, thank you, God! Is there a chance of reoccurrence?"

"Gwen, he's immune to it now, so there's no chance of reoccurrence. It's the people who aren't immune to it that have the chance of it occurring."

"Thank you, Mary Jane. Liz and I owe you an apology."

"It's okay, Gwen."

"No, we do owe you an apology. We originally thought that you were this self-arrogant diva. Now, we see that there truly was more potential to you."

"Thank you. I must be going. I have an audition to go to."

"Thank you, Mary Jane."

"You're welcome, Gwen."

At OsCorp industries, Norman's assistant was panicking. "Norman, we have to do something! They're going to give our funding to Quest!"

"I'm willing to try it out on myself. I want to begin the process. After all, it takes about two weeks just to prepare for the actual test."

"Norman, don't do it! It's not safe!"

"It's my company. I'm not going to see my company go down without a fight! I'm willing to be the guinea pig to save my own company. Now, start me on the two week trial period before the test."

Otto was sitting in his lair. "I thought that the little parasite would've finished the spider off. Even that little parasite couldn't be the spider's pesticide." His arms looked at him. "We need more money, I know we do. I'll figure out a way to get money."

Mary Jane visited May's house after the audition. "Hi, Mary Jane, how did the audition go?"

"It went terrible, Peter. They told me I would be better off being a local news channel anchorwoman."

"That's too bad. Although, you wouldn't be bad on the news. Mary Jane reports…"

"Please, if I became an anchorwoman, I would develop a caffeine addiction."

"You'd need coffee all the time because you were up at all hours of the night?"

"No, I'd need it to stay awake while I read the winning lottery numbers."

"I wanted to thank you for taking me to Secret Hospital."

"It's no problem, Pete. I should be heading home."

"Mary Jane, no matter what anybody tells you, you're going to be a great actress."

"Thanks Pete."


	15. Our Family Histories

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Our Family Histories_

Peter looked at a picture of his parents. "They were great people, Peter." He looked up to see May walk into the room."

"I still miss them."

"I miss them, too."

"I feel like I know their entire history."

"Peter, there's something you should know." May got a box down.

"What is it, Aunt May?"

"Look and see for yourself. Your parents were killed in a plane crash. However, the plane crash wasn't an accident. They were killed because they were…"

"SPYS!?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't want to distort your view of your parents. The term spy sounds so negative. I felt like I would be trampling on their grave if I told you."

"Aunt May, I, uh…" He struggled for the right words. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going over to Liz's."

"Hi, Peter, Gwen's not here. I just got done shopping." Peter looked at the grocery bag that was on the counter.

"You went to some organic farmer's market?"

"Why does that surprise you?"

"You just never liked organic stuff."

"I'm trying some new things." Liz smiled at Peter.

"Liz, something is horribly wrong. I just found out that the plane crash that my parents died in wasn't an accident! They were killed because they were spies! I mean, they were working for the good of the government, but it's still shocking to me!"

"Talk about a skeleton in your closet."

"Liz, I always wanted to kill whoever was responsible. I was tempted to kill whoever was responsible until someone else got to them."

"Peter, vengeance rarely solves anything."

"Liz, they were my parents. Murder is not just a dispute over where people like to go out to eat."

"Peter, vengeance only wrecks somebody's life. When somebody commits an act of vengeance, the law turns on them and they suddenly find themselves to be a victim of poverty."

"You were lucky. You had normal parents and a normal life."

"Hold on there, Peter. My parents were not Ward and June Cleaver. For most of my life, I was a latchkey kid. Dad was working all the time and mom…"

"What about your mom?"

"It's a long story."

"We have time."

"Mom was always a victim of a strange accident at a laboratory. Just touching somebody could cause the receiving party severe physical pain."

"How did she find that out?"

"She found that out with me, actually. I was about five years old. My hands were dirty and I was washing them…

"Liz, let me see your hands. I want to make sure they're clean enough. Okay, that's good. Liz, what's wrong? Somebody call 911!"

Peter looked at Liz. "She noticed that I was in severe physical pain for no apparent reason. After we went to the regular hospital, she went to Secret Hospital."

"I thought Secret Hospital opened recently."

"That's why it's called Secret Hospital. Anyway, mom institutionalized herself to protect everybody. I wasn't aware of that until after her death. The last time I saw her, I was twelve years old and she was still in the institution…

"You may see Mrs. Richardson now."

"Thank you."

"Liz, I haven't seen you in forever! How are you doing? I miss you so much!"

"How could you do this? How could you abandon dad and I!? It hasn't been easy for any of us. How could you do this!?"

"Liz, you don't understand…"

"Oh, I understand all right. I understand that you aren't really mentally insane and you just checked yourself in for no good reason."

"Liz, it's not that way at all."

"Mrs. Richardson, your daughter will have to go now…"

"I love you, Liz."

Liz looked at Peter. "I was so angry that I didn't say I love you back. The turning point in our relationship was her funeral."

"How could her funeral be the turning point in your relationship?"

"Before the funeral, dad handed me a note…"

"Liz, your mother wanted you to have this when the time was right. The time is right. It explains everything, even the institution."

Liz looked at Peter. "So, what did the note say?" Liz opened a drawer. She pulled something out.

"Read it yourself."

"Liz, I don't feel comfortable reading your personal information."

"I want you to, Peter."

**Liz, I want you to know that I really love you and I do care about you. That's why I have to leave. I went to a place called Secret Hospital the other day. They told me that if I touch anybody, I will only bring them severe pain. I have a different genetic condition. It only popped up now. I truly do love you and your dad. That's why I have to leave. I'll miss you and I love you. I'll love both of you forever.**

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Wow. Liz, I had no idea. All I have of my parents are old photographs; a couple of them are with me."

"I guess, occasionally, something pops up about our parents that we never knew."

"I guess that does happen. I'll see you later, Liz. I have a date with Gwen."

Peter went over to Gwen's house. Gwen was looking at a photograph of her mom. "She was great, wasn't she?"

"Yes she was, Gwen."

"She was always so loyal and so loving. I'll be back, Peter. I forgot my purse."

When Gwen left, Peter pulled out a photo of himself and his parents. He pulled out another photo that was of him and Aunt May and Uncle Ben. He smiled at both of them before he put them back into his wallet.


	16. Political Games

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Political Games_

George sighed. "What's wrong, George?"

"Peter, all of the team, including me, is pretty sure that there's a conspiracy against the mayor of Andersonton."

"What are you going to do, George?"

"I need an investigative third party. I need a middleman."

"George…"

"Peter, I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you and your friends to pose as different people. Do you think you and your friends can handle that? I do feel bad that I have to put you and your friends in a dangerous situation."

Peter smiled. "When can we start?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Okay, we have to start working on a plan."

"Slow down, Liz."

"Peter, this is important. I already outlined all of you and which role you will play. Gwen will be an ambitious reporter; you will be her photographer boyfriend, and Mary Jane's role in this will be two roles."

"What do you mean?"

"For the first half, she'll be a high school student, and for the second half, she'll be an official aide to the mayor."

"Oh, yeah. The mayor gets a new official aide, and he doesn't suspect anything."

"George is telling the mayor that Mary Jane is helping him for a short period of time."

"What are you going to be?"

"A hacker."

"C'mon, Liz."

"Peter, it wasn't a joke. If I wear a pink wig, I can be the best hacker in the business."

"Liz, this is a bird brained plan."

"I know, and I hope it works."

Peter went over to see Mary Jane. "Since when does Mary Jane Watson sport a short, black wig?"

"I got the wig when I heard about this."

"I see the backpack organizer has gone out of retirement."

"Peter, I'm trying to play this part well."

"This bird planed, highly operative plan starts today."

"I know."

Peter saw Gwen as he was walking towards the city convention. "Peter, this convention is amazing. It shows the city for what it truly is."

"Yeah, all of the glitz and glamour of Andersonton that can be interrupted by just one look at a cab driver."

"Very funny, Peter."

"I wasn't joking."

Gwen turned her attention back to the action. Peter saw Mary Jane. She was walking with something. "Mary Jane, what is that thing?"

"It's a tape recorder. Supposedly, it can hear anything and everything."

"Very good for investigative reporting. However, you'll want to put that thing in your backpack."

"I was planning on it."

"Where's Liz?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her."

Liz looked around both ways twice. She jumped onto the fire escape of an empty warehouse. She kicked the door through.

Meanwhile, Gwen was talking to a fellow reporter. "So, you're also a reporter?"

"Yes, I am."

"What's your name?"

"Jane Richardson."

"I've never heard of you."

"What's your name?"

"John Jameson."

"I've never heard of you, either."

Gwen went off to prepare. Normally, George gave the speech, but George wanted Gwen to take his place. That way, George would have more time to investigate.

Peter decided to call Mary Jane. "Hi, Mary Jane, have you found anything yet?"

"No, but I haven't checked the tape recorder."

"Does anybody suspect you?"

"No, everybody thinks that I'm here on a field trip or for a tour."

"Good job. Keep up the good work."

"People of New York, welcome to this year's convention." Peter turned around to see Gwen giving her speech. He looked around for Liz. I hope she isn't in any major trouble, he thought to himself. "I would like everybody to enjoy this year's convention-aaah!" Peter looked up. The high platform that Gwen was standing on had collapsed. Everybody made assumptions that Gwen was going to fall to her death. Peter, as Spider-man, raced to save her. Since he knew that Gwen blamed him for the death of Sally and Jason, he sedated her to keep her from trying to fight him. He brought her down to where George was standing. George looked at her.

"Why did you sedate her?"

"It's for her own good." George looked up at him as he flew away.

"Ms. Watson, I'm a little surprised that an aspiring actress wants to be my aide." Mary Jane smiled at the mayor.

"It's a great opportunity."

"George is working double time on my security and now, I have an extra aide. I wonder why I deserve all of this special treatment."

"It's because you have done so much for the great city of New York."

Suddenly, George entered into the room. "Bob, we have a real problem. Liz Richardson has been kidnapped. The ransom note lists you as their target." Mary Jane looked at George with worry.

Peter looked at Mary Jane as she told him the news. "It's my fault. I should've never volunteered us to help George. Now, I put the mayor's life in danger, Liz's life in danger, and I only escalated the original situation."

"Peter, it's not your fault."

"It is my fault."

"It was bound to happen to one of us, sooner or later. It just happened to Liz."

"I thought you and Liz were enemies."

"We were, but first impressions can be wrong."

"What about you and Gwen?"

"We're distantly nice to each other." Mary Jane's eyes started to well up.

"Don't worry; Liz will be back here before you know it."

"Thanks Pete."


	17. Web of Conspiracies

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Web of Conspiracies _

Gwen was looking at the newspaper. She looked up at Peter. She folded the newspaper, and she brought it to her side. Peter looked at her. "You decided not to wear pink today."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Yesterday, you had on so much pink that I thought that Pepto-Bismol was going to hire you to be their spokesperson."

Gwen laughed. However, her happiness didn't last long. "I wonder." She sighed.

"You wonder what?"

"I wonder how that little spider or whatever he is saves me from falling, yet he doesn't stop the death of Sally and Jason, and he doesn't stop whoever it was from kidnapping Liz. I think he only saved me because I'm George's daughter, and he wants to have a good record with the police station."

"Gwen, I know that you're worried about Liz. Spider-man is just trying to protect the public."

"Oh, yeah. I made the mistake of talking to his principal photographer." Gwen started to leave the room. Peter stopped her.

"Gwen…" They kissed. "Liz is going to be okay. I know she is." Gwen smiled at Peter. However, she was still secretly worried.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter was trying to get any information he could. "George, did you find anything yet?"

"No, I'm still looking."

"What about city cameras?"

"I'm going through those also. Listen, Peter, in this complicated plan, what role did Liz play?"

"She self-hired herself to be the hacker."

"Hacker? Definitely not the safest job opportunity."

"I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't budge."

"Did she wear a pink wig by any chance?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I think I found her. She broke into that old warehouse down the street." Both of them started to prepare to leave. Mary Jane and the mayor followed them.

"We're coming with you. It would be a lot safer with us along."

"No, both of you will just be somebody else to worry about. Plus, if the mayor goes along, we'll just be playing into their hands. We can handle this." Mary Jane and the mayor watched George and Peter leave. Mary Jane turned to the mayor.

"Let's go."

Peter, as Spider-man, was having trouble seeing anything. The warehouse was so dark and so dingy. He had to find something, soon.

In another room of the warehouse, Gwen was sneaking up on the man who was holding Liz at gunpoint. She removed her hat, and she stuck it over the man's head. She kicked the man. Two of his accomplices ran towards her.

Peter was starting to get frustrated. I can't find anything, he thought to himself. He heard a woman scream. He looked at George. "That's Gwen! We have to go!"

In the room, the leaders of the conspiracy were focused on the mayor. "Don't hurt them!"

"You're the one we really wanted."

Suddenly, one of the guns was whisked away by a web. They looked up to see Peter, as Spider-man. They also saw George. They went after Peter. George removed the rope that was tied around Liz, Mary Jane, and Gwen. Then, all of them went after the men. Not knowing what else to do, the men attempted to run. Their attempt was thwarted by a web that held each of them on the ground. The mayor looked at George.

"George, why didn't you tell me that there was a possible conspiracy theory against me?"

"I didn't want to worry you. Also, I didn't want to make you paranoid."

"Are there any other reasons?"

"I didn't want to ruin this year's convention."

"Well, I guess I have to get going. I have a meeting with Quest today."

"Quest? I thought that OsCorp was your preferred military business."

"George, it's fair to equal all sides, for the good of the public. Between you and me, Quest might overtake OsCorp."

"I never imagined OsCorp going down."

"It's possible, George. I do feel bad about Norman, though. He did start that company. However, I'm sure life will move on for him. Who knows? Maybe OsCorp will come by with a great device. You never know."

"I'll see you later, Bob. I hope we see many more years of Robert Marko being the mayor of Andersonton."

"I hope so, too." The mayor left.

"Peter, this whole thing was crazy. However, Gwen does really look like she could be an official aide to the mayor."

"I agree with you, George. So does Mary Jane. Liz looks like she could work as a secret agent forever."

"Peter, I still want to meet Spider-man."

"C'mon, George, who would want to meet him?"

"You're his photographer, aren't you?"

"That's a fact that Gwen will never let me forget."

"Peter, I know that Gwen is not a Spider-man fan. She just needs to see him for what he truly is."

"George, she blames him for the death of two people. She still thinks that Spider-man saved her just because she's the police captain's daughter. With those kinds of stereotypes in mind, I doubt that she'll be cheering for Spider-man anytime soon."

"Gwen will turn around, someday. Peter, I know it must be hard for him. Sometimes, it seems like the whole city is against him. _The Daily Bugle_, Gwen…"

"Aunt May."

"Your Aunt May is against Spider-man? Okay, so even if the sweetest person in the world is against him, I'll always be for him. Also, many citizens of New York will continue to be for him. Please tell him that I said that, okay?"

"Okay, George."

Peter decided to see Liz. "Liz, are you okay? I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner to prevent your kidnapping…"

"Peter, I'm fine. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I'm okay. Is Gwen okay?"

"She's okay."

"You saved her and everything, and I know that she isn't a Spider-man fan, so I just want to make sure that she's okay."

"She's okay. She's a little bit angry, but she's okay."

"That's good. Thanks for coming to help me."

"I'll always be there for you Liz."

"You say that now, but circumstances could change that."

"Liz, I mean it. I'll always be there for you."

"Thanks Spidey."


	18. Stroll in the City

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Stroll in the City_

Otto was sitting in his lair. I need more money, he thought to himself. OsCorp won't give me any more resources because I failed. I no longer have a steady job. Maybe I should just give up the project. His arms twitched. I can't give up the project. That would be the worst thing that could happen. I can't let that happen. He started to leave his lair.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter went over to May's house. "Oh, Peter. I was just about ready to leave. I was going to go on a short stroll through the city. I wanted to clear my mind."

"Don't let me interrupt you. I'll see you later."

"Are you sure that you didn't want to talk about something that was important?"

"I'm sure, Aunt May."

She smiled at Peter before she left. Peter still felt guilty, however. He never told May the truth about what really happened to Ben. However, he knew that both of them couldn't handle it right now.

J. Jonah Jameson was sitting in his office at _The Daily Bugle_. "Dr. Octopus. That sounds like something that would come from a B-horror movie. Mad scientist turns himself into this weird creature. That's definitely from a B-horror movie." His assistant looked up.

"Science Squid, Octopus, where do you come up with these weird names, Jonah?"

"The mad scientist's name is Dr. Octopus. I figured I might be able to collect some royalties if I came up with the name. I'm sure that he must be in cahoots with Spider-man."

Robbie looked at him. "Jonah, Spider-man is a hero. Dr. Octopus is a crazy nut."

"Robbie, do you want to be fired?" Robbie remained silent. "That's better. Now, I'm in charge of the headlines, and I'm in charge of who I view as the antagonist. If you have a problem with that, there's the door."

May saw Mary Jane's aunt as she was walking. "Hi, May, I'm Mary Jane's aunt. We met at their graduation."

"Yes, I remember you."

"It's nice that Peter and Mary Jane are friends. Remember when they wouldn't be convinced that they would become friends?"

"Yes, it was quite the challenge getting both of them to meet each other."

"I'll see you later, May."

May was still walking. Otto was watching her. She must be rich, he thought to himself. She's a widow, and she just came from the bank. I'll rob the bank, and then, I'll try to get money from her. He moved towards the bank.

George was sitting at the station. "George, there appears to be a situation at the bank."

"I'm going over there right now."

"We'll go, but it looks like there's no need to worry."

"What do you mean?"

"See for yourself."

George looked to see Spider-man fighting with Dr. Octopus. "It's nice to have a helper, isn't it?"

Realizing that he was about to lose the fight, Otto grabbed May. "Don't follow me, wall crawler. Otherwise, I'll have to finish this experiment over your dead bodies."

"Let her go."

"I can't let her go. One, it would give you your way, and two, I need her. She's rich."

"She's not rich. She's a poor widow."

"Either way, arachnid, I have the upper hand."

All of their attention was suddenly turned to the sirens. "The police are here. Although they can't stop me, I still think that it would be the best idea to leave." Otto took May. Peter dashed after him. An amazed police officer turned to George.

"They're moving faster than one of our patrol cars."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Peter engrossed Otto in a web. The shock of the first stand caused Otto to drop May. After he had engrossed Otto, Peter went after May. A frustrated Otto removed the web, and he started to head back to his lair. Peter managed to catch May. She smiled at him. "Everybody's wrong about you. I was wrong about you."

"Don't let me have all of the credit. You managed to distract his attention by hitting him."

"We make a good team." Peter noticed that Mary Jane's aunt was headed towards May, so he decided to swing away.

Back at _The Daily Bugle_, J.J.J. was delighted. "Spider-man and Otto rob a bank, and they attempt to harm an old woman. What a great headline. Now, I just need a picture…"

Peter entered into the room. "Parker, there you are. I hope you have a good picture of what happened today. I want to show that menace for what he really is."

"Spider-man's not a menace. He was protecting the people."

"Parker, he's made a bunch of messes, and he's probably injured a bunch of people by his shenanigans. Don't make me give you the speech that I had to give to Robbie."

Peter turned around to look at Robbie. "His speech was let me be the boss, or you're fired. It was longer than that, but that was the general just of it."

"You see! My speech was so great that it's burned in his memory forever!"

Robbie rolled his eyes. Peter sighed. "This story is so great that it deserves a frame. Robbie, find me a frame. Peter, go get me some more pictures of Spider-man." Both of them signed. "What are you waiting for? I'm not going to give you any extra money if you just stand there!"

Peter went over to May's house. "May, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Peter."

"I heard about what happened today."

"More people in the world need to be like that."

"Need to be like what?"

"Spider-man. So many people are misguided today. Especially the kids growing up in tough environments. They need somebody to look up to."

"Do you really think that Spider-man can accomplish that?"

"I have no doubts about it. He's willing to risk his life to save anybody, young or old, even if they're a perfect stranger. I appreciate that. I also know that everyone can be heroic. They don't need any special abilities. All they need is to find the courage, the strength, and they need to find their way. That is what truly defines being a hero. Well, I have some errands to run. I'll see you later, Peter."

Mary Jane saw Peter as he was exiting from his house. "Hi, Pete."

"Hi, MJ. What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting Mom. Is May okay?"

"She's fine. She's just a little frazzled from the day's events."

"I hope that he realizes the impact that he's making on people's lives."

"Who?"

"Spider-man. Originally, I believed all of the trash that was written about him in the paper. He risks his life everyday just to save the people. He deserves better publicity. Oh, wait. You're his photographer for _The Daily Bugle_. They print horrible things about him. So, you're not a supporter."

"Just because I work there does not mean that I share their idea. I think he's great."

"Can I ask you a silly question?"

"No question is silly."

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"Yes."

Mary Jane looked disappointed. She started to head back into the house. "I'll see you later, Peter."

Peter left without realizing how Mary Jane felt about him or Spider-man.


	19. The Hypnotist

**Chapter Nineteen**

_The Hypnotist _

Gwen, Liz, and Peter were walking through New York. Liz noticed a hypnotist standing nearby. "That would be a great piece for _The Daily Bugle_. A muckraker piece. I like it."

"Liz, why do you want to do this?"

"Peter, people actually spend money for a hypnotist. They deserve to know that they're being ripped off."

"Anybody can forget about hypnotizing Liz Richardson." Gwen smiled at Peter. They kissed.

"Very funny, Gwen. I'm going to talk to him."

"Liz, this could be dangerous."

"Don't worry, Peter, I know what I'm doing. Hey, hypnotist, I bet you can't hypnotize me!"

"This is going to be ugly."

"Peter, she'll probably be fine."

"Gwen, Liz can get herself into sticky situations."

Liz came back. She looked at Peter with stars in her eyes. "I love you, Peter."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter was taken back. "Excuse me?"

"I love you. Mary Jane and Gwen are just spineless girls who need somebody to hold on to. One day, you'll realize that, Peter."

Peter looked at Gwen. "Gwen, I have to do something about Liz. She didn't mean what she said about you. I'll see you later, and I still love you."

"I know, Peter. Get Liz some help. I can wait."

"Thanks."

They left. Liz looked at Peter. "Peter, with all of the bad publicity that you get, I think that Spider-man needs a cheerleader. I want to be the cheerleader."

"Liz, Spider-man isn't a high school football game. He doesn't need cheering on."

"Yes he does. Spider-man! Spider-man!" An embarrassed Peter stopped Liz. "Liz, people are looking at you. You're embarrassing me."

"I'm sorry, Peter. That wasn't my intent. Peter, do you remember when you had that strange parasite?"

"Yes."

"You wanted Gwen. You didn't want me. You wanted Gwen. You had no idea how much that hurt me."

"Liz, I'm going to get you some help." He took her to the condo that he shared with Harry.

"Peter, break it off with Gwen. I support you and I support Spider-man. You need somebody who's going to support you." Peter saw Harry,

"Harry, you're here! Listen, I need you to look after Liz. Something's wrong with her. I'll be back. I just have to use the bathroom."

Harry looked at Liz with stars in his eyes. "Liz, do you want to see Mary Jane?"

"Yes, Harry." They took off. Mary Jane was stunned to see both of them.

"Harry, Liz, what are you doing here?"

"I came over here to tell you that Peter will someday realize that you're just a spineless crybaby who needs somebody to hold on to."

"Harry, what's wrong with Liz?"

"Mary Jane, we love each other." They kissed each other.

"I feel like we're in the hippie era. Harry and Liz, stay there. I'm going to call Peter."

"Stay here? Mary Jane, I want to cruise through New York City."

"Harry, be reasonable."

"Harry, Peter hurt me. I want to see Dr. Octopus. I want to give him some of Peter's secrets."

"Let's go, Liz."

Mary Jane watched them leave. "Peter better be home."

"Mary Jane, where are they?"

"Liz insulted me, they decided that they love each other, they're going to cruise through New York, and Liz wants to tell some of your secrets to Dr. Octopus."

"Why do bad things happen in clusters?"

"Why are Liz and Harry doing this?"

"There was a hypnotist in New York today. He got to Liz and he got to Harry. Liz was trying to write an article for _The Daily Bugle_ showing how the hypnotist is wrong."

"That's not good."

"You got that right. Do you know where they are?"

"I don't know."

"I know somebody who might know." Peter left. He changed into the Spider-man outfit. He saw Dr. Octopus on the top of a new office building. "Where are they?"

"Those crazy, meddling kids? They're fine."

"They've been hypnotized."

"Either way, it's to my advantages. The girl said a lot of secrets about you."

Peter looked down at the window. He saw Harry and Liz. Both of them were handcuffed to a table. He swung through the window. Liz weakly looked up. "He's looking for you. Be careful."

"Liz, you're no longer hypnotized. How did that happen?"

"Harry and I both snapped out of it."

"That's great, Liz."

Otto crashed through the door. Using one of his tentacles, he threw Liz's table through the open window. Peter ran to the edge. He started to shoot webs toward the table. Otto threw Harry's table at Peter's back. The shock caused Peter to lose his balance. He shot a web at the roof of the building. Also, he shot two more webs, one was attached to Liz's body, and the other was attached to Harry's body. Using his strength, he removed Harry and Liz from their tables, and he swung them to a safer spot. When he went back to the building, Otto was gone.

Peter went back to his condo. He heard a knock on the door. It was Liz. "Hi, Liz, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Peter. Thanks for talking some sense into me. Oh, yeah, and thanks for saving my life."

"I love how saving your life came second after talking some sense into you."

"Peter, I never should've bothered that hypnotist."

"That's okay, Liz."

"Harry shouldn't have, either. I want to talk to him."

"He's in our stairway balcony. I have one request."

"What's that?"

"Don't tell Harry my secret."

"I know he wouldn't understand. It's our secret. I do feel bad harboring your secret against everybody else."

"I know, Liz. I'm sorry that you're stuck with that burden. Sally never should've told you…"

"Yes, she should've Peter. I have the right to know."

"You're right, Liz. I'm going to see May. Have fun talking to Harry."

"Bye, Peter."

Liz walked up the steps. "Hi, Harry."

"Hi. Wow, this is kind of awkward. Even though I don't remember anything from being hypnotized, Peter's description is making this awkward for me."

"It doesn't have to be awkward, Harry. It never was."

"It's strange because that was the first time that I've ever been saved by Spider-man."

"He's incredible, isn't he?"

"I don't know about incredible, Liz. Sometimes, heroes become the villain."

"I… I… should go."

"Don't go, Liz."

"Harry, this whole thing is complicated."

"It's not complicated, Liz." They kissed.


	20. In Her Eyes

**Chapter Twenty**

_In Her Eyes_

Gwen was talking to Peter. "Peter, I'll see you later. I have a photo shoot today for a bridal shop."

"When did you decide to model?"

"I don't want to model. It's a way of making extra money. I want to be two things: I want to be an actress and I want to work at the police station in some way."

"Bye, Peter and Gwen. I'm going to my acting gig." They looked up to see Mary Jane.

"Mary Jane was here?"

"Gwen, she was talking to May."

"I was just wondering. When she needs a counselor, it's usually you. I guess you're a really friendly friend."

"Gwen, it's not like that."

"I have to go, Peter."

Gwen's very lucky to have Peter, Mary Jane thought to herself. Mary Jane's very lucky to have Peter to console her, Gwen thought to herself. I wish I could be just like her, both girls thought to themselves.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Mary Jane was confused. She didn't know where she was. Also, why was she in a wedding dress? She stumbled over to the mirror to see Gwen. She immediately pulled out her cell phone to call Peter.

Gwen was also confused. Why was she in a ridiculous, fluffy costume instead of a wedding dress? Also, everyone was expecting her to act. When she looked in a mirror, she saw Mary Jane. A little unnerved, she decided to head over to the apartment that she and Liz shared.

"Peter, Peter, are you there?"

"Hi, Gwen."

"Peter, I…" She stopped herself. It would be nice to see what Peter really thought about Gwen. "Peter, we need a replacement groom for the photo shoot. Would you be interested?"

"What?"

"The groom that was scheduled cancelled at the last minute. Please help us. You'd get some money."

"Okay, Gwen, I'll be right over."

Liz looked at "Mary Jane." "Okay, Mary Jane there had better be a good explanation for why you're in this ridiculous, fluffy costume. The excuse cannot be that you had too much caffeine."

As soon as Gwen was about to tell Liz the truth, she changed her mind. "I'm acting. This is the outfit for the gig. Actually, Liz, this is my lunch break. C'mon, let's go to lunch."

"Well, since Gwen is busy with that bridal shop, my answer is yes."

"Do you really view Gwen as your friend?"

"What a silly question is that. Of course she's my friend. Listen, Mary Jane, this better not be a plot to ruin the friendship between Gwen and I."

"Of course not. C'mon, let's go to lunch." "Mary Jane" smiled to herself.

Peter and "Gwen" looked at the photographer. "Okay, you're leaving the chapel. You're waving hi to your wedding guests. You're happy. Now, you're posing for the group picture. Now, a couple of pictures of just the two of you. You're so much in love." "Gwen" looked at Peter. She had never seen that look from him before. He really loved Gwen. "Okay, you're with the preacher. You're smiling. Look at the pastor. Now, look at each other. Hold each other's hand. The pastor just told a funny joke, so now the two of you are laughing. I know this is out of order; kids, but it will make sense for the bridal shop. A couple of different shots of the two of you laughing. Peter, pretend like you're reading your vows. Both of you smile at the camera. Now, it's the reception. A couple of shots of dancing, kissing, and reception bliss, and we'll be done. We already got the alone shots of the bride and groom. Okay, kids, last shot. Gwen will throw her bouquet, and we'll be done. Okay, we're done." The photographer looked at "Gwen." "You're acting different today, Gwen. You're more into it. We accomplished a lot more today. Keep up the good work." "Gwen" smiled to herself.

"He's right, Gwen, you are acting differently."

"What do you mean, Peter?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're acting like Mary Jane. You're probably just tired. I'm going to check in with Mary Jane. I think you should go home and rest."

"Gwen" nodded. "Okay, Peter. However, she was still disappointed.

"Hi, Pete." "Mary Jane" looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to go out to dinner with you and Liz. Gwen was acting strangely today, so I told her to go home and rest."

"How was she acting?"

"A lot like you, actually."

"Gwen's acting like me? That is strange."

"I wanted to take you and Liz out to dinner."

"Liz isn't here."

"Where is she?"

"She has a date."

"Liz has a date? She never told me that she was seeing anybody."

"She's going out with Harry, actually."

"Harry? Harry didn't tell me anything about it, either."

"I guess it's a best friend thing. Best friends don't have to tell each other everything."

"I guess I'm going to dinner with you."

"Oh, you don't have to. Won't that be awkward for Gwen?"

"We're just friends. Gwen knows that."

"I'm not so sure she does."

"What do you mean?"

"She loves to walk in the city with you, she loves to go on boat rides with you, and she loves to listen to music with you. She's practically a romance-obsessed. However, all of that time, she's never heard that you don't really care of me as more than a friend."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I heard it through the grapevine."

"I'm going to give you something to send through the grapevine. I love Gwen. I always viewed you as one of my friends. Are you okay with this restaurant?" He pointed to it.

"That's fine with me."

They were silent for most of the meal. Finally, "Mary Jane" spoke up. "Peter, how do you view me?"

"Mary Jane, I will always be your friend."

"Your friend?"

"That's all we'll ever be, of course." Peter smiled.

"Mary Jane" looked very happy. "Well, that's settled. Gwen loves you, Peter. I want to change out of this outfit. I'm going to the bathroom."

After about five minutes, she came out of the bathroom. "Let's go, Peter." They walked through the city. "Thanks for our not-a-date evening."

Peter laughed. "You're welcome. How did your acting gig go?"

"That went excellent. They want to hire Gwen for a role."

"That's great. Did Gwen audition sometime?"

"Yes, she did."

"When?"

"Today."

"That's great."

"I don't want to be like Mary Jane Watson. I like being Gwen. I love you, Peter. I always have." She closed her eyes for a second.

"Peter, see Gwen. She'll explain everything to you. I was with you at the bridal shop today, not Gwen."

"What?"

"Go get her, tiger." He walked away. Mary Jane was disappointed.


	21. A Night at the Theater

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_A Night at the Theater_

Liz looked at Peter. "Peter, this was a great idea. Thanks for finding out that the theater has a double balcony where you can watch two shows at the same time."

"You're welcome, Liz. I knew if we missed the debut of either Gwen or Mary Jane, there would be fireworks."

"You got that right."

Harry walked up to them. "I know Gwen and Mary Jane will be terrific. I hope that everybody has a great time at the show."

"Thanks for letting us use the limo, Harry."

"No problem, Peter. You have to arrive at these things in style."

"Tell your dad that I said thank you."

"I will." Harry left. Peter looked around for Norman. When he saw Norman, Norman looked deeply troubled.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter decided to find out what was going on. He turned to Liz. "What happened to Norman?"

"He's afraid that his company will go under."

"Why?"

"Quest Aerospace is threatening to be the new military supplier. They're quite promising. That's all that Norman can think about."

"Did you find that out on one of your dates with Harry?"

"How did you find that out?"

"Through the grapevine."

"It's all Norman can think about."

"Hopefully, the double feature tonight will take his mind off of his troubles."

"Yeah, I guess."

"These are really comfy chairs. They're so comfy that anybody could fall asleep in them."

"If you do, then you'll really get it from Gwen and Mary Jane."

"How long has that been going on?"

"What's been going on?"

"You and Harry."

"Peter…"

"My mistake. I'm only your best friend. I think I have the right to know. I thought your love was a result of the hypnotist."

"I thought it was too. After you left that day, I talked to Harry. We decided that our love wasn't a result of the hypnotist."

"A Richardson and an Osborn? That's a strange combination."

"A Stacy and a Parker? That's a strange combination."

"I see your point, Liz. However, you two still haven't received my blessing. I can't believe this. You and Harry are two of my very best friends, and neither of you ever mention anything to me about it."

"Grow up, Peter. This isn't second grade. Everybody doesn't have to know everybody else's business. The show's starting."

Peter was still angry, but this argument would have to wait for later. He noticed Norman Osborn out of the corner of his eye. When Norman was watching Mary Jane's show, he was happy and light-hearted. However, when he was watching Gwen's show, he became moody, somber, and angry again. Peter turned to Liz. "What's with Norman's mood swings?" Liz remained silent. Peter returned to watching the show.

The climax of the show had arrived. Gwen had just said a heartfelt goodbye to her stage love, and Mary Jane was trying to be saved by her love from a weird, octopus, like thing. Liz still wasn't talking to Peter. Suddenly, Peter sensed that something was going to go wrong. Something broke both sides of the stage.

"Talk about breaking the fourth wall. It's just probably part of the show."

"Does this mean that you're not mad at me, anymore?"

"No, it means that I'm trying to calm the Spider-man side of you down. It's probably nothing."

"Liz, look at the facial expression of Gwen and Mary Jane. It's not part of the show."

"What about a publicity stunt?"

"I sincerely doubt that."

The roof of the stage broke. Otto fell into the stage. The tentacles grabbed Mary Jane and Gwen. "Don't follow me." With that, he left with the two screaming actresses.

"Peter, do you remember what I said about it's probably nothing? Now would be a good time to…" She turned to the empty seat next to her. "Forget it." Liz raced to her car. She was going to go after Gwen. She drove through the city until she saw Otto. Using one of his tentacles, Otto flipped Liz's car over. Peter, as Spider-man, caught the car with a web. He laid it back on the ground.

"Get out of the car. It's not safe."

"Thanks Peter. I'm sorry about all the nasty things I said to you."

"None of that matters now. I have to save them." Using a web, he caught the tentacle that held Gwen. The tentacle let go of Gwen. He attached a web to her back, and then he brought her to where Liz was. Liz bent down by Gwen.

"Gwen, Gwen, are you okay?"

Gwen opened her eyes slowly. "Liz, I'm okay."

"I brought your clothes from the dressing room. I thought you might want to get out of that frilly, ridiculous outfit."

"Thanks Liz."

Their attention was brought back to Otto when Mary Jane screamed. "Spider-man, I take it this is one of your friends. Meet me tomorrow, or she's a dead woman." Peter felt defeated as he watched Otto walk away with Mary Jane. He had been watching Gwen from far away to make sure she was okay, and he wasn't paying attention to Mary Jane. He should've been.

Peter went over to May's house. He found Liz there. "Peter, have you heard anything? I'm worried about her. She's already in a sticky situation. I don't want her to get hurt." Aunt May entered into the room.

"Liz, you have nothing to worry about. Spider-man's probably searching for her right now. He managed to save me from Dr. Octopus, so he will save Mary Jane. I originally thought that Spider-man was a nuisance to New York, but he proved me wrong. Everybody needs somebody like him."

"I wonder how John is taking this."

"John? Who's John?"

"John Jameson. Mary Jane told me that they were dating. Didn't she tell you?"

"If one more surprise couple pops up out of the blue…"

"Don't worry, Peter. No one else is dating that would be a surprise to you. Not that I know of."

"Aunt May, would you excuse us for a minute, please?"

"Sure, Peter."

"Liz, I think it's impossible to save Mary Jane. The stakes are higher, and the public will expect more. I've looked, and I've looked, and I still can't find her. Who knows where Otto is? We'll get her back, right? I know we will."

"What if we don't get her back," Liz said as her eyes watered.


	22. Farewell, Captain

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Farewell, Captain_

Gwen stood by George at their house. "Why are you outside, dad?"

"Looking at the skies. Clearing my mind. Trying to think about other things."

"I know that Mary Jane's disappearance was difficult for you."

"I just feel like I failed somehow."

"You didn't fail. I'm proud of you. Mom's proud of you."

"I've always wanted to see your mother for just one more day."

"Me too. The stars are lovely tonight."

"Yes they are."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter turned around. "Liz, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Harry. Is he here?"

"He's here. I'm going to continue my search."

"Good luck."

"You too."

Liz went up to see Harry. "Hi, Harry, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did. Come with me." Harry took Liz to Secret Hospital. "Liz, do you see this room? Peter showed it to me once. It's called Ben's Room. It's in memory of his Uncle Ben. It's the most relaxing room ever built."

"So, why are we here?"

"We're here because… Elizabeth Allan Richardson, will you marry me?"

Gwen looked at George. "Okay, George what is this about?"

"I wanted to get you a birthday present. Do you know that old, abandoned firehouse that you love that they were going to tear down?"

"Aren't they still going to tear it down?"

"No. I bought it. It's yours. Happy Birthday."

Gwen looked at it. "It suits me so well. You can see all of New York from here. Thank you." She hugged him.

At OsCorp, Norman was ignoring the desperate pleas of his assistant. "Norman, don't do this! It will ruin your life! For the last time, don't do this! You know what the test subjects encountered! Don't do this to yourself!"

"I'm out of time. Did you think that I wasn't being serious when I said that I was going to do this? I have to save my company. They'll give our resources to them. Quest Aerospace. I can't let that happen. Sometimes, a man has to sacrifice himself to save his company." When Norman turned to him, the assistant could tell that he was worried. "I don't want to do this. I have to do this." The assistant silently watched Norman become OsCorp's newest test pilot. When the tank was about half full, the assistant had a change of heart. He shut it off, and he dashed in there to save Norman. Norman turned to him. "It's your entire fault."

Peter was very happy. He had been working on something to tie up Otto's tentacles, and it was finally ready. He went out as Spider-man to fight Otto. He saw Otto clinging to the edge of a building. "You little arachnid, you finally decided to show up."

"We don't need to fight this fight."

"You're going to be squashed."

"We'll see about that."

"What happened to the tentacles? They're out of control."

"They're out of your control. That was my plan." The tentacles were wildly thrashing against the building. A police officer saw George.

"George, thank heaven you're here. We have a major incident going on." Otto managed to regain his control, and he left in a hurry.

"Don't worry about your little friend, Spider-man; she's alive… so far."

Peter looked down to see debris from the wall falling towards the public. He raced down. George saw a little boy standing where the debris was about to hit. "Please, God, spare the boy."

Gwen was watching the whole situation from the firehouse. Peter's attention was turned to the gasps from the audience. He turned around to see what they were looking at. "George?" He raced over to be by him. "I'm going to get some help." George grabbed his arm.

"Don't go, Peter. Yes, I know that you're Spider-man. This is more important. I want you to take care of Gwen. I want you to make sure that she doesn't die this way. I know that both of you will one day get married. My last request is that you'll take care of her. I've always viewed you as my surrogate son."

"Thanks George."

"She's coming. Swing away before she gets here. I don't want her to lash out at you." Peter swung away.

"No, no, you have to let me through. I'm his daughter." Gwen pushed her way through the crowd. George looked at her.

"Gwen, don't blame…" He stopped. A hysterical Gwen held on to him.

"George died doing what he did best: protecting the people. He died to save a little boy's life." Liz saw Peter at the funeral as the pastor talked.

"Peter, where's Gwen?"

"She wanted to be left alone."

"Peter, I… I… I'll see you later." Liz looked at her engagement ring. She felt bad that she hadn't told Peter yet, but everybody had enough on their plate…

Peter went up to the firehouse to see Gwen. "Gwen, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks Peter."

"Why are you packing?"

"I'm going to London. I'm going to spend time with my aunt and uncle. My uncle is George's brother."

"Gwen, you have friends here."

"Peter, I want to get away from here. Too many memories, too many bad things happening all at once…"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. First, Mary Jane gets kidnapped by Dr. Octopus. Then, a murdered body is found at OsCorp. Then, my father gets murdered by Dr. Octopus and Spider-man."

"We'll find Mary Jane."

"Too many horrible weird things are happening here, Peter. I have to go."

"I'll be right back, Gwen. I'm going to drop these pictures off at _The Daily Bugle_."

"You're still working there? I thought you would quit after what happened to George."

"I need a living, Gwen."

"You're getting a living by taking pictures of one of the guys responsible for the murder of my father. I'll never forget that." She looked at him angrily.

"Gwen, you know that Spider-man is completely…"

"Guilty. I know that, Peter."

"Gwen, he's innocent. He was trying to save your father. It was an accident."

"That stupid web stuff was no accident, Peter. There were two people involved in that fight. I can't believe you're defending him. Goodbye, Peter." Gwen left Peter standing by himself.


	23. Dashed Legacies

**Chapter One**

_Dashed Legacies_

Gwen was looking out of the window. It's always raining in London, Gwen thought to herself. She looked up to see Uncle James enter into the room with two cups of tea. "Thank you." Gwen looked out the window again. "It was always hard for him. He was trying to protect the people, and something would always get into his way. He couldn't protect everybody. He died protecting somebody. If Spider-man and Dr. Octopus hadn't gotten into that fight, George would be alive, and I would be home. Spider-man! How can the public treat him as a hero? How could George treat him as a hero? I…I…"

"Gwen, Gwen!" James stopped her. "I miss my brother, too."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Great, Peter thought to himself. At the moment I need to be comforting Gwen, Mary Jane gets herself kidnapped. Just great. On top of that, there was a mysterious murder at OsCorp that I need to investigate. Why must bad things happen in clusters?

"You'll have to get the scoop on Miss Watson's kidnapping." Liz looked at the new reporter in front of her.

"Actually, I didn't want to talk to a high school intern. I wanted to talk to the boss."

"The boss is busy. His blood pressure is high enough. By the way, I'm not a high school intern. I'm basically the second boss around here when Mr. Jameson can't handle anymore. I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Ned Leeds."

"Are you sure you're not a high school intern? You look like one."

"Nice engagement ring. So, who's the unlucky guy?"

"I'll give the Watson case to somebody else."

"No, no I can handle it. I want the case. You never know, I may embarrass myself by writing a terrible article."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"I thought you would. What is your name, again?"

"Liz Richardson. By the way, the unlucky guy is Harry Osborn."

"Osborn, huh? What are you, a gold-digger?"

Liz rolled her eyes before she walked away from Ned.

Silver Sable looked at the newspaper in front of her. She noticed an article on the Osborns. They'd be perfect for my Robin Hood scheme, she thought to herself. There was only one person who could get in her way…

While Peter flew through the city, he noticed something headed towards him. He jumped out of the way. Once it landed, Peter realized it was a safe. He looked up to see Silver Sable coming towards him. "I missed. Next time, you won't be so lucky." He went after her. Upon seeing that he was following her, she pulled out a gun. Using a web, he took the gun away from her. Frustrated, she flew away from him.

Norman woke up in his house. It took him awhile to realize where he was. He saw Harry headed towards him. "Dad, I told them that you needed to rest, but they wouldn't listen."

"Who are they?"

"They're the press and the people from OsCorp."

"Mr. Osborn!" They looked up to see the people from OsCorp.

"Please, give my father a chance to recover. I think he's sick. He needs some rest."

"Dr. Strahm was murdered last night. Also, there was a robbery."

"This couldn't have happened at OsCorp."

"It did happen and the press is practically knocking the door down."

Norman looked away for a moment. He was starting to remember last night. The accident at the laboratory… He couldn't tell them. "We'll look into it right away. Now, if everybody will excuse me, I do need some rest." I couldn't have murdered Strahm, he thought to himself. I couldn't have…

Peter finally saw Otto's lair. When he looked in, he saw a chained-up Mary Jane. She looked at him. "You're here! I knew that you'd be here!" She whispered to him so Otto wouldn't hear.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you for very long. I have some other priorities on my plate."

"I understand." She grabbed onto a piece of the raft, and then she looked at Otto. "It's okay, his mind is busy on his science project. You're amazing." She smiled at Peter, as Spider-man. She lost her balance, and she fell. Peter helped her up.

"It's okay. He didn't notice."

She grinned at him again. Both of them turned their back to Otto. Suddenly, she screamed. Using one of his tentacles, Otto jerked her towards him. She looked at him. "What are you trying to do, make the ring of fire?" Otto looked at Spider-man.

"Spider-man, I'm sure you've heard this expression: don't play with fire if you don't want to get burned." He held her closer to the fiery circle behind him. "This isn't fire, but it will burn." Mary Jane started to sweat. Peter swung a web towards Otto. It caught Otto in the middle. Peter swung him over to the river. The tentacle dropped Mary Jane on the ground. Peter sedated her. He went over to Otto and he removed his mask. "Don't think that I'm going to have sympathy for Spider-man if he is really Peter Parker."

"I wasn't thinking that." Otto looked at him. His first instinct was to kill him on the spot. Otto let the tentacles fall to the ground.

"Peter, Peter, I always looked at you as a genius. I always viewed myself as a genius. Now, look at me and look at you. I've destroyed people. You've saved people. You created something out of your genius. I've missed a lot. I mean, Rosie, George, and several others suffered because of my darn project. It's my own fault. I have to stop this."

"Otto, I'll stop it."

"You'll get killed."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. You've saved too many people, where I destroyed too many people."

"I once heard something from a wise man. With great power comes great responsibility."

"Peter, there isn't a moment to spare." He walked towards it. "Goodbye, Peter." Peter nodded. He put his mask on. He went over to get Mary Jane. She woke up from the sedation. She looked at him.

"You are amazing." She looked for Otto. "Where is he?"

"He's doing what he needs to do."

"You convinced him to have a change of heart, didn't you? You are amazing."

"We should be going."

He flew her down to a port. "Don't go." She looked at him.

"I have to." He left.

Going to London would be too risky, Peter thought to himself. If Gwen saw that Spider-man and I were in the same place, she would know the truth. Thinking about Dr. Octopus, he felt sad. If a villain can die just to save the public, he thought to himself, maybe I've been wrong all along. Maybe heroes and villains cannot simply be classified as heroes and villains.

The next day, Peter got a call from Mary Jane. He went to the local coffee shop to meet her. "I must say that this is random."

"Don't be silly, Pete. I wanted to buy you a coffee."

"Why?"

"Just because. I'm sorry that you and Gwen broke up."

"We didn't break up."

"Pete, when a woman moves to another country, it doesn't mean that she likes your personality."

"MJ, she went there to recover from her father's death. We're still together, thank you very much."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I got saved by Spider-man yesterday. I was wondering, does he talk about me?"

"Not really. He has a girlfriend, Mary Jane. He saves people. That's what he does."

"Actually, I've been seeing somebody myself. I'm not trying to date you or Spider-man. You know that I'm not interested in either of you," Mary Jane tried to laugh.

"Companionship is a good thing for you, MJ."

"Peter…" She stopped. "I'm engaged… I'm engaged to John Jameson. We're getting married, I need to grow up, I need to see you less, we really love each other, he wouldn't move to another country, and thanks for the coffee." She left quickly. Peter just sat there.

When he went home, he opened up the newspaper. He saw a picture of Liz and Harry. He looked at it. It's an engagement announcement. Liz and Harry are getting married!?


	24. Sable Fable

**Chapter Two**

_Sable Fable_

Peter, as Spider-man, flew into the condo that he shared with Harry. Harry wouldn't be home, so he wouldn't see him. "Hi." He jumped about ten feet. He turned around to see Silver Sable.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you."

"No thanks. Your brand of hospitality tends to be trying to kill me."

"I've changed my mind."

"I don't trust you."

"I'm like a Robin Hood figure. I work for the good of mankind, like you do."

"You steal."

"I want to be partners. Heck, I'll even be your girlfriend."

"I don't want to be partners, I already have a girlfriend, and you're trespassing. Get out."

She looked at him angrily. He turned his back to her. She noticed a photo of Peter and Gwen. Unbeknownst to him, she took it before she left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Harry looked at Norman. "You know, dad, didn't you want to go to London for a business opportunity there? It would give us time to spend with Gwen after George's death, and we can get away from this media circus that's been following us ever since the incident at OsCorp."

"That sounds like a great idea, son."

Gwen was walking in London. Silver Sable approached her. "You! You're his girlfriend! You're Spider-man's girlfriend!" She grabbed Gwen, and Gwen pushed her away from her.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You're crazy. I'm not even his friend or a fan. Leave me alone." Gwen walked away from her. Silver sedated her, and she took her.

Harry heard a knock at the door. "We've been in London for less than five minutes, and we already have a visitor." Harry opened the door. Gwen smiled at him.

"Harry! Thanks for inviting me!"

"Gwen! Come in! Liz and I are engaged!"

"That's wonderful, Harry! I have to use the bathroom."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thanks Harry."

When Gwen left, Norman looked at Harry. "Gwen seems a little too happy after George's death."

"Maybe she's putting on a show or she got over it quickly. I don't know, dad." Norman looked suspicious.

Gwen opened up the doors to a closed room at the Osborn mansion. So, she thought to herself, this is where they keep the money. She turned around to see Norman. "Are you lost, Gwen? The last time I checked this wasn't the bathroom. Also, Gwen Stacy would be too heartbroken over George's death. So, give up the act, Sable."

"You aren't a boy scout, Norman. You can't fool me. I know about the incident in the laboratory. Oh wait, your son doesn't know about that, does he?"

"He never will. I did that to save my company, I didn't murder Strahm in cold blood."

"I never knew that Daddy Warbucks had a violent side."

"Goodbye, Sable." Suddenly, Norman fell to the ground. She looked to see what was behind him.

"Bravo, Spider-man. You managed to sedate the most crooked businessman of our time."

"Norman Osborn is not crooked."

"Wait and see. You'll learn one of these days."

"Why did you have to pick Gwen? Her father just died."

"Gwen is the only woman who has the heart of both Peter Parker and Spider-man. It's too bad that they're the same person. I mean, she does hate one of them. I knew you wouldn't fight her and I knew you would fight me. It was an easy choice."

"I know how easy of a choice that is. Do you recognize him?" Peter showed her a photo. As she gazed at the photo, he sedated her. He took her to Secret Hospital.

"Gwen's going to be fine."

"Dr. Connors, I meant to have a conversation with you. Secret Hospital is not a place for voodoo and weird stuff like that, is it?"

"Peter, this is not an institution for the mentally insane. Of course not."

"You kill the inhabitants. Why do you think that that's up to you to decide?"

"It's not up to us to decide. Peter, 99% of the time, the inhabitants are dangerous to the person, and it's not fair to the person if they live."

"What about Silver Sable? Wasn't she a good person?"

"Peter, she did do the Robin Hood thing of robbing the rich and giving to the poor. However, she killed some people along the way. Her wedding was attacked by a dangerous group, and her husband was killed in the midst of it. Since then, she's been this vigilante super villain."

"Not all vigilantes are villains."

"Not all of them are. However, a good percentile of them is."

"What about Dr. Octopus? He was living a good life, tragedy befell him, he lived a bad life, and he died a hero."

"Octavius is the exception, not the rule."

"You killed Silver while she was using Gwen's body as a host, didn't you?"

"Peter, we didn't have a choice. It was either her or Gwen. I've got work to do."

Peter sat there for a second before leaving. Some villains weren't really bad, he thought to himself; however their risk to society has to mean their death, right? Peter pondered about this as he went home. If they were pure evil, that would be different, but if they had a cause… Peter stopped thinking about this. It was too much for him to grasp at the time.

Peter heard a knock at the door. It was Liz. "Peter, I'm so glad to see you. Mary Jane's been found. Gwen has been saved from Silver Sable. However, I'm still worried. Gwen is still in London, the OsCorp murder case hasn't been solved, and there's a jerk named Ned Leeds at _The Daily Bugle_. Say something! You haven't seen me since the funeral."

"How about explaining to me where that ring came from?"

"Peter, I… I… I got engaged to Harry."

"I read it in the newspaper. I would have rather heard about it from you or Harry."

"I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't want things to change between us."

"How would they change?"

"I'm marrying one of your very best friends. I'm a female, you're a male. Since I'm getting married to the son of Norman Osborn, the media will be intolerable if they even see you talking to me. Things can never be the same, Peter."

"Liz, this is not the Liz Richardson I know. Will our friendship change a little? Of course. Will you always be my very best friend? Yes. We can still see each other. Forget about what the media says."

"Peter, please be one of the groomsmen at our wedding."

"Isn't that up to Harry to decide?"

"I already talked to him. He's fine with it. Both of us want you to be a part of our big day."

"Okay, Liz."

"Thanks Spidey."


	25. Green Stranger Danger

**Chapter Three**

_Green Stranger Danger_

_ Five years ago…_

Bruce Banner stood still for a second. General Thaddeus Ross noticed his hesitation. "Is there something wrong, Bruce?"

"No, nothing. I agreed to do this, and everything will turn out okay. Is Betty fine with this?"

"She wasn't at first, but she'll be fine. I think it's great that her boyfriend wants to help out the military so much."

"It's a favor for you."

Thaddeus nodded. "We need all the help we can get. Now, go into this room, sit down, and everything will be okay." Bruce looked at Betty. She looked worried, but she put on a convincing smile. "Betty, are you ready?"

"I'm ready, general."

"Next time, dad would be fine." The general pushed the lever. Bruce still looked confident. However, as the process went on, he began to panic. His eyes started to turn green.

"Dad, we have to shut it off!"

"He'll be fine. It's just the beginning stages for a beginner."

"Dad, we never tried this before! What if something goes…" A loud noise interrupted her. They looked over to see the emergency alarm. "Wrong." The glass broke. Both of them looked at what was behind the glass. Betty looked at the monstrosity in front of her.

"Betty, get out of there. Run!"

"General, he needs our help."

"King Kong would be the only thing that could help him or control him. Run!"

"General, please! He needs our help. Don't you, Bruce…"

Waking up from his unconsciousness, the general looked around. Most of the lab was destroyed, blood was all over the place, and Betty was lying unconsciously on the floor. He looked over to see the monstrosity headed over towards them again. "No!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

_Present time_

Gwen heard a knock on the door. She opened up the door. "Harry, what a surprise!"

"I tried to see you before, but you know what happened."

"I know. Silver surfer girl, or whatever her name was, tried to steal your money." Her smile started to waver as her eyes started to water. "I miss him so much."

"We all do. Hey, dad's having a banquet today, and I wonder if you'd like to come."

"I wouldn't miss it. Thanks for inviting me. Thanks for being there for me, Harry."

"Peter is supposed to be there for you. I don't know where he is."

"I don't know either. I thought I could replicate what I had at home if I came over here, but I can't. I miss everybody back in the states. However, a couple of Osborn banquets sound like a good idea. I'll stay for those. I love my relatives, but they can never replicate what I had."

"I know what you mean, Gwen. Nothing could ever replace dad."

"I feel bad. I yelled at Peter when I left, and I shouldn't have."

"It's okay, Gwen. You were emotional because of your dad's death. Anybody can be that way. Peter will understand."

"Thanks Harry."

Bruce was trying to get through the hospital to see Betty. Not an easy task because the general blamed him for all of the destruction even though it was the general's idea to have Bruce be involved. He saw Betty through the hospital window. The general turned around and looked at him. He started to chase him. Bruce escaped. A beeping noise woke Bruce up from his dream. He looked at a picture of Betty. How different life had become. He was once in love, living a normal life, and he could walk the streets in the States. Now, he had cheapskate employment, failed attempts to control himself, harsh coworkers, difficulty learning a new language, and a totally different life. Bruce's attention turned to the beeping noise. He went over to his phone. One of the many methods he had used to control himself was calling. "Hello, doctor. Any good news?"

"Bruce Banner, they're looking for you. Get out now. They traced our conversation." Bruce hung up. He started to run.

Mary Jane looked at her costar. "C'mon, you have to admit these are the perfect wedding shoes. They're perfect for your wedding to John."

"Yes, they are."

"What's wrong, Mary Jane?"

"Nothing."

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"Of course not."

"Mary Jane, you once told me that you loved somebody else. That's grasping for straws, but is it that?"

"It was two people."

"Two people!? I heard of a love triangle before, but a love square is pushing the envelope."

"They were just fairy tales. John is real. I was this little girl living this princess fantasy."

"What happened?"

"Somebody else became their princess bride. It's not important. I think those shoes look great for this wedding."

Gwen walked around at the banquet. "Wow, I can't believe how much stuff is here!"

"Welcome to the lives of the rich and famous."

"Very funny, Harry." Gwen saw Norman.

"Gwen, I'm so happy that you could come to this. I'm very sorry about your father."

"Thanks, Mr. Osborn."

"Call me Norman. Gwen, after your dad's death, I know that you're going to need some sort of financial resources to keep you going, so I wanted to offer you a job."

"A job at OsCorp? I'm not the science fiction geek, Peter is. I hardly know anything about science."

"That's okay. You wouldn't be working in the scientific department."

"Thanks, Norman."

Something crashed through the wall. Everybody looked concerned. "What is that big green monstrosity?"

"I don't know, dad." Gwen gasped. Spider-man was following the big monstrosity.

"Oh no, not him."

The military was following behind the monstrosity and Spider-man. Spider-man looked up to see Gwen. "Gwen…" The monstrosity turned around to see Gwen. Realizing that one of the people who were trying to attack him loved her, he went after her. Gwen screamed before passing out.

"Don't shoot! He has Captain Stacy's daughter."

"Thaddeus, it's her life over millions of others."

"Blonsky, don't shoot!"

Just as the shot rang out, the monstrosity escaped with Gwen. "I'm sorry, general."

"That's okay, Blonsky. I want to get rid of him, too."


	26. Loved Ones Lost

**Chapter Four**

_Loved Ones Lost_

Liz looked at Peter. "Peter, I can't believe this."

"What, Liz?"

"You should be out there trying to help her instead of just sitting there and doing nothing."

"You're right, Liz." Peter took off.

Gwen was slowly waking up. She saw the thing. She screamed before attempting to kick him. He looked at Gwen before he turned away. I miss Peter, Gwen thought to herself. I miss him. I need him. Boy, do I need him now.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter was starting to look all over the place for Gwen. He couldn't find her and he needed to. He was slowly starting to get worried.

Betty looked at her cell phone. Breaking news, more breaking news, the usual breaking news… her thoughts were interrupted by Leonard. "Is there anything interesting happening?"

Betty smiled. "Leonard, it's just the usual…" She stopped. "Stuff." She looked at an article that detailed the kidnapping of Gwen. "Leonard, I'll see you later." She raced from the university.

"Betty, wait! Where are you going?" He followed her to a downtown restaurant. She raced in to see the owner. She held up her cell phone.

"Stan, Stan! Is this true?"

"Betty…"

"Just tell me if it's true."

"It's true, Betty. He's back. The military chased him out of the middle of nowhere when they traced an email between him and a scientist."

Betty raced outside. Leonard raced after her. "Betty, where are you going?"

"I'll see you later, Leonard. It's an emergency." She left him standing by himself.

Mary Jane looked at John Jameson. "Wedding invitations, seating arrangements, planning a wedding is more complicated than I thought."

"Seating arrangements are a lot more complicated than I thought. You have to consider which families get along the best, the ex-boyfriends and the ex-girlfriends, who will make friendly conversation, and much more. It's like a much more complicated version of musical chairs." Mary Jane laughed. "How are the wedding invitations going?"

"They're doing okay. I just got done inviting all of the aunts."

"Yeah, if one aunt wasn't invited to this, all of them would throw a fit. Hey, why did you scratch out the name Peter Parker?"

"I'm not inviting him. He is my friend, however most of the time he's busy, and he really doesn't care."

"He should care."

"Anyway, it's not important."

"Mary Jane, I want to thank you for helping me out. I thought I could never get past _The Daily Bugle_ or being an astronaut. However, you're helping me get past both of those. I know this is a huge step for you that will involve maturing quickly. The press is knocking down our door everyday practically."

"It's okay, John. This is helping my actress career. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?"

Thaddeus looked at the radar. "There they are. Listen, men, I don't want any of you to shoot. That includes you, Blonsky."

"General, it's her life over millions."

"Don't shoot, Blonsky! She's Captain Stacy's daughter! Don't shoot! We'll rescue her from him, and then, we'll shoot him." Thaddeus turned back to the radar. "Men, something else has popped up on the radar."

"It looks like a red-and-blue spider."

"Blonsky, that's Spider-man! He'll help us! He's against the Hulk."

"General, have you read _The Daily Bugle _lately? The whole city's against him! How can a jumping man in tights possibly help us out? Also, where did you get the name the Hulk?"

"The big, green monstrosity was referred to as The Incredible Hulk in _The Daily Bugle_."

Peter, as Spider-man, jumped down to where Gwen was. Upon seeing Spider-man, Gwen screamed. The Hulk grabbed Gwen. Peter looked at The Hulk. "I heard of lean, green, fighting machine, but this is ridiculous. It looks like the evil twin of Green Giant." Peter swung up to the tree. Attempting for a web strand to catch Gwen, the web strand caught Hulk's hand instead, causing The Hulk to drop Gwen. Gwen screamed until she caught hold of a tree branch. Peter went over to fight the Hulk until he heard Gwen scream again. The tree branch was breaking. Peter caught Gwen, sedated her, and he put her down on a web. The Hulk jumped towards him, causing the web to break. Peter caught Gwen, and he swung away with her.

Betty was racing towards Thaddeus. "General, please don't do this! He'll calm down! This will only make matters worse!"

"Betty, I have to do this!" Betty started to run. "Sedate her!" She fought off a couple of soldiers. She ran towards Bruce.

"Maybe this is for the best. She's the beauty to calm the beast."

"Blonsky, she's my daughter."

"With the relationship between you two, nobody would guess that she was your daughter." Blonsky left.

The Hulk saw Betty, causing him to stop. "Betty…"

Suddenly, both of them were surrounded by gunfire. He shielded her. After the gunfire subsidized, The Hulk glared at the military, and then he carried an unconscious Betty off into the wilderness.

"Wait, wait, what happened?" Leonard ran over to Thaddeus.

"He took her."

"He saved her life. You tried to kill both of them. She's better off with him." Thaddeus sighed.

Gwen was slowly waking up. She saw Peter, who was in his normal clothes. "Peter!" She ran towards him. They hugged. "I never should've left. I could never replace what I had. I've lost a lot and I've missed a lot. The person that I've missed the most is you." They kissed.

Liz looked at Peter. "Peter, don't feel bad about the kidnapping of Dr. Elizabeth Ross."

"I do feel bad. I should've been there."

"You were happy and love struck. You saw Gwen. Anybody would understand that."

"Liz, I behaved like a love struck, spineless teenager."

"Peter, you behaved like anybody would if they saw anybody that they missed."

"I hope Dr. Elizabeth Ross will be okay."

"How do you know that?"

"She's the Ann Darrow to his King Kong. She'll be fine. Both of them need each other. Just like you needed Gwen."

"Thanks Liz."


	27. The Unknown Fear

**Chapter Five**

_The Unknown Fear_

A newspaper headline caught Liz's attention. "Peter, look at this. Here's more bad publicity for OsCorp. Apparently, an angry ex-Osborn employee has…" She stopped.

"What is it, Liz? What happened?"

"He's attacking the city."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Peter, you have to go."

"What is this about?"

"He's releasing a weird chemical in parts of the city. It's from OsCorp. It's causing people to slowly pass out, and then die."

"I'm going." Peter left.

Liz called Ned. He wasn't at home, so she went to find him.

Peter went over to Gwen's house. She was unconsciously lying on her table. He swung over to the condo that he shared with Harry. He laid Gwen down before he went to find Mary Jane.

He saw Mary Jane lying unconsciously on her couch. He took her to the condo. He laid her down on a table that was next to the table that Gwen was lying on. He sedated both of them before he tried to find Liz.

Liz was looking for Ned when she saw the mayor's son running towards her. She turned around to see Peter, as Spider-man. "He's hysterical. His family has been affected by this." Peter turned to her.

"I'll take him."

"What are you doing to help this?"

"I'm trying to put all of the victims in the condo. Then, I'm sedating them to try to counter the effects of the chemical. It's a powerful sedative."

"This is a powerful chemical. The condo is too small. It won't be enough!"

"It will be enough, Liz. Have faith in me!"

"I'm going to find Ned. Maybe he can help me."

"Liz! Don't go!"

Liz left to find Ned. She finally found him at a fancy restaurant. "Ned, what are you doing? There's a major emergency, not to mention a major story breaking, and you're with…"

"Liz, the feisty girl Friday! I'd like you to meet Cara Everhart. She's a reporter at _The Daily Bugle._

"Ned, I'm just thrilled to meet your latest fling. We have an emergency going on…"

"I'm sure we do."

"I hate to interrupt your little façade, but serious reporters, not to mention humans, respond when there's an emergency." She left.

She started to drive towards the OsCorp building. She walked into the place. "Liz Allan, good to see you. Wow, I've heard so much about you. The prodigal fiancée of Harry Osborn. It's a shame that you came here at the wrong time."

Gwen started to wake up. "Peter…"

"Gwen, you're okay! Thank God!"

"Of course I'm okay. What happened?"

"There's a corrupt ex-OsCorp employee spreading a dangerous chemical through the city. You were a victim."

"I have to get to George's Point."

"What is George's Point?"

"The building he gave me as a birthday gift."

"Gwen, I'm surprised that you're using it. Aren't there too many bad memories there?"

"I'm using it as a place to help the public. It's a crime stopper."

"Gwen, it's too dangerous."

"Peter, you aren't talking me out of this. Liz is also my best friend. George gave that place to me as a gift. He spent his whole life protecting the public. He died protecting the public. I'm going to do this." Gwen left.

"Pete… Pete…" Peter turned around to see Mary Jane. "I don't know why I ever doubted you. I can always count on you."

"I'll tell Harry to take you home."

"Peter, don't do that."

"Mary Jane, you told me that you're engaged, and you couldn't be my friend anymore. I get the message."

"Peter…"

"Liz is in trouble, MJ. Harry will take you home."

"I'm sorry, Peter."

Peter looked at her before he left. Harry walked into the room. "Sure, Mary Jane, I'll take you home.

"Harry, this must be nerve wracking for you."

"I know Liz will be okay. She's strong and tough. She'll make it."

"Aren't you worried at all?"

"I am worried. I love her. She loves me. We'd never fall in love with somebody else."

"Harry, your love is like a fairy tale illusion."

Harry laughed. "C'mon, Mary Jane, I'll take you home."

Liz was starting to wake up. "I'm… I'm… in a car. A fast moving car. Peter…" She looked up to see a man dressed in black.

"Relax, you're fine. I'm helping you. Liz…" He stopped. Unsure of her surroundings, and totally shocked, she fainted.

Gwen was up at George's Point. "Any sign of her?"

"No, Peter, there's not."

"Gwen, I'm sorry that I yelled at you earlier."

"It's okay, Peter. I'm glad that you changed your mind."

"I hate to say it, but I didn't change my full mind. I still don't see why you didn't abandon this place."

"Peter, it's George's legacy."

The ex-OsCorp employee knew that something was behind him. "Who are you?" He turned around to see a green figure. The green figure cackled before throwing a bomb.

Peter went over to May's house. Mary Jane was there. "Hi, Pete."

"Oh, hi, Mary Jane."

"Don't you ever take any time off? Smell the roses, see the trees…"

"I barely have anytime to recognize my own surroundings."

"Maybe you should make the time."

"So, how is your fiancé?"

"He's okay. I like the companionship and I like him."

"Mary Jane, he's your fiancé. You could get companionship from an animal."

"Peter, I do care about him."

"You never said that you loved him."

"Peter…"

"Yes?"

"Take some time for yourself." She left.


	28. The Second Man

**Chapter Six**

_The Second Man_

Gwen still was looking for Liz when Peter walked in. "Gwen, I see why George chose this place. It really suits your personality."

"Yes, he knew me so well."

"I never should've tried to tell you to leave this place."

"Peter, you know me very well. This place is home for me. I hope that it can also be a home for others. I hope she finds her way back… home."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter was sitting silently when Mary Jane walked into the condo. "Peter, I heard what happened! How is Harry holding up?"

"He's doing okay. He's resting. I thought that you were too mature for us."

"Peter, I can't leave. I could never leave. There are too many memories here."

"So, how is your fiancé doing?"

"John's okay."

"MJ, this is practically a whirlwind wedding."

"I know."

"I didn't even know that you were dating John."

"Peter, it's… it's weird. I have to go."

"I thought you were comfortable here."

"I thought it would be okay. It's not. Peter, promise me one thing before I go."

"What?"

"That we're going to find Liz."

"We'll find her. She'll be okay. I know she's safe."

"Thank you."

J. Jonah Jameson couldn't believe his ears. "You want what?"

"Mr. Jameson, I want to take today off."

"Peter, this is an agreement. This is your job. This is not…"

"Jameson, it involves Liz Richardson, who is a very good friend of mine. She's also a reporter for _The Daily Bugle_…"

"Her articles aren't worth a dime! I was going to fire her!"

"Jameson, she's one of the few people Spider-man trusts."

"Yet another reason to fire her."

"I wouldn't do that."

"You don't run this paper, Parker! Remember that!"

"Well, I'm your Spider-man photographer, Liz Richardson knows Spider-man, and Spider-man sells tons of newspapers. Now, can I have the day off to try to find Liz Richardson?"

"I, uh…"

"I thought you would change your mind."

"Pull this again Parker, and you're fired!"

"Thanks, Jameson."

Gwen was at George's Point looking at the radar. "Have you found anything yet?"

"Unless you count dropped ice cream, I would say no."

"You're acting like Liz."

"Sorry, Peter. She's on my mind."

"I understand." Peter's phone rang. "It's Harry. Hi, Harry."

"Peter, you have to come over here right away."

"What's the matter?"

"Using dad's radar, I think we found Liz."

"Where is she?"

"It's an old, abandoned warehouse. Come over right now."

"I'm sorry, Harry. I have other plans."

"What could be more important than Liz?"

"You'd be surprised." Peter hung up the phone. He turned to Gwen.

"Peter, I'd never thought you'd dump on Harry! How could you?"

"I'm not dumping on him."

"You're going after her, aren't you? Peter, you'll get yourself hurt! Let me come with you." She started to follow after him, but he sedated her.

"I'm sorry, Gwen. This is an emergency."

After he arrived at the warehouse, he started to stumble around. There were cobwebs everywhere, making it impossible to see. Also, the warehouse was very dark, so Peter was having a difficult time seeing where he was going. He stumbled until he swung a web strand at the roof. Using the strand, he went from floor to floor. Finally, he thought he heard a sound coming from the basement. To his surprise, the basement was totally empty, except for one table. He looked over to see Liz. She was unhurt, and she was resting. She looked over at him. "Peter…"

"Is there any insane traps I need to be aware of?"

"The employee is dead, Peter."

"Who killed him?"

"Some guy in a goblin outfit."

"Probably some nut with a Halloween costume. Liz, Harry's coming. I can hear his voice. I need to leave." He swung away from Liz.

Later, Liz stood in the backyard of Harry's condo with Peter. "Peter, I tried to follow your instructions. I tried to save the city. That's all that I was trying to do."

"I know, Liz."

"Instead, I gave you something else for you to concern yourself with."

"Liz, it's okay. So, who was your knight in shining armor?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know that somebody took you to that warehouse. It wasn't an enemy. You were too relaxed."

"Do you want the honest truth?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. He just told me to relax, and that everything was going to be okay. Do you know who he was?"

"No, I don't know who he is. What's wrong, Liz?"

"I was just thinking. I was thinking that if I were in another crisis, I'd rather be with him than with Harry."

"There you two are. C'mon, everybody's waiting. Everybody wants to have an interview with my son's fiancée."

"I'm coming, Norman." Liz left.

Peter went over to George's Point. "Gwen, it's nice to relax."

"I know. Ever since this thing with Liz started, I've been so worried, that I've been sleep deprived."

"I know what you mean. Do you know what Liz told me?"

"What did she tell you?"

"She's not happy with Harry."

"She told me that even before they got engaged."

"Why would she tell you that and not me?"

"Peter, you're his best friend."

"Then, why are they together?"

"That's a good question. Why don't you ask her that sometime?"

"I did. She doesn't want to break Harry's heart, and she feels that a weird part of her loves him."

"Also, she might be afraid of Norman."

"Norman? Please, Peter. There's no reason to be afraid of Norman."

"Afraid wasn't the right word. Worried is the right word. When you break it off with the son of someone who has money and a hot temper, the chips usually don't land in your favor."

After the interview, Liz wanted to talk to somebody. She went through her contact list. Gwen no, Harry no, Peter no, Mary Jane no, Norman no, May no, Ned. She looked at Ned's name. She thought for a second. Then, she clicked the call button.


	29. Mending the Gap

**Chapter Seven**

_Mending the Gap_

Mary Jane was walking to her apartment. Another show with no Peter in the audience. Then again, I did tell him that I needed to grow up. She thought this as she opened up the door. She looked around. It was a total mess. Quickly, she ran over to the cabinet. She pulled out a skillet.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

She heard the door open. Before looking to see who it was, she smacked them on the neck with the frying pan. She looked at him. "Peter!"

"I take it this is a bad time to stop by."

"You can say that again. Are you okay?"

"What were you doing?" He looked around. "Oh, now I see."

"Peter, you have your own embarrassing secrets."

"Yeah, but you can't use any of them."

"I know where you work. That's a good place to use them. Knowing Jameson, he would plaster them on the front page."

"Are you talking about my boss or your fiancé? I'm sorry, that was a terrible joke."

"Why are we having 1940 film style dialogue when there's an emergency?"

"MJ, I hate to break this to you, but you're not the first person who's ever been robbed."

"Thank you for your lack of sympathy."

"It's no problem. Look, MJ, I do have sympathy. This is terrible. Look on the up side; they didn't try to take your life."

"I guess you're right."

"C'mon, let's get a cup of coffee. Oh, wait, you're too mature for that now."

"I have to perform at the play."

"Okay then, I'll see the play, and then, we'll get the coffee."

"You're seeing the play? This is special. You're the only one I know who hasn't seen my play."

"What about that one guy? You know, the guy who says that all of the great actors are dead, and he's never going to another play or movie in his life?"

"He's seen it."

Alicia Mongrail looked at the statistics in front of her. "Do any of you know what runs George's Point? It must be some kind of superficial, super intelligent computer system."

"Why do you say that?"

"The statistics of crime in the city has gone down. That little arachnid named Spider-man helped that. George's Point only helped to escalate that. Do you know what this is doing to the city? It's not good."

"You're not the head honcho."

"A woman runs George's Point." They looked around to see someone wearing a goblin's suit. "You're right. She's not the head honcho. I am."

"You mean to tell me that a woman runs George's Point?"

"It's a personal vendetta of hers, Mongrail."

"Who is she?"

"I know, but I'm not going to tell you."

"Who are you?"

"_The Daily Bugle_ calls me the Green Goblin. Look, if you're so curious, find out for yourself. I will narrow it down to three choices: Liz Richardson, Gwen Stacy, or Mary Jane Watson."

"Watson is the Broadway actress; I don't think she would want anything to do with this, but maybe that's her cover. Stacy is the police captain's daughter, his name is George, but she was never that into it either. She liked to avoid trouble. Richardson is Osborn's fiancée. I don't know what she would want to do with this either."

"There's only one way to find out."

Mary Jane looked at Peter. She couldn't believe that he was actually spending time with her. He was there in the audience. Most of the time, he was busy. She couldn't believe it.

After the show, Peter walked with Mary Jane to her apartment. "No, actually the show was great. You were great."

"Stop bluffing, Peter!"

"I'm not bluffing. I can be a real Statler and Waldorf sometimes."

"Okay, they always say that your friend can become your critic."

"No, you've done great. Professionally and socially."

"Yes, I have."

"In all honesty, I'm surprised you came tonight."

"Really? Why?"

"Usually, you're too busy."

"I have priorities and other things. I'm always here as a friend."

"You're not always there."

"So, why are you getting married? I always thought that you would never get married, or if you did, it would be scary, because it would be a hippie-like marriage."

"Peter, you know that was just a show."

"You've really changed."

"I did a little thing called growing up. Everybody does that."

"Not Peter Pan."

"Cute, Peter. Look, why haven't you married Gwen? Do you really love her, or are you just afraid of commitment?"

"I love Gwen."

"I like John."

"You never said that you loved him."

"I'm doing this for them… I mean him."

"MJ, marriage isn't a job or an errand."

"Peter, stop arguing with me! Look, I'm getting married, I'm mature now, and I don't need this right now!" She walked away from him. She turned around. "Peter, I'm sorry. I want to thank you for hanging out with me today. It took my mind off of my troubles. I'm getting married because…" She sighed. "I love him." With that, she walked away from him.

Ned looked up. Where am I, he thought to himself. He saw Alicia headed over towards him. "Ned Leeds! _The Daily Bugle_ reporter! You know Liz Richardson!"

"Who are you?"

"Alicia Mongrail. Listen, Ned, I need you to do something for me. I need you to spy on Liz Richardson. We think she might be dangerous. After all, who can you trust these days? In the midst of corruption, it's hard to trust anybody."

"Why do you need her?"

"We need to terminate her to keep the city safe. Now, Ned, please help us."

Ned thought about it for a minute. He looked at Alicia. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"Listen, Ned, you can't trust anybody. Too many good people fall for corrupt people. Now, you find the girl, we terminate her, and that's another corrupt person off of the streets. Now, what do you say? Are we partners or not?"

Ned looked at her. "We're partners." He left in a hurry. She turned around to see a green figure.

"Where were you hiding while he was here?"

"Behind the table." Alicia started to leave. "Good job."


	30. Double Crossing

**Chapter Eight**

_Double Crossing_

Liz looked at Harry. "I'm sorry, Liz, but I can't go to the dance today."

"Harry, everybody is going to be there. Peter, Mary Jane, Gwen…"

"I know Liz, but I have to be there for dad."

"Harry, this is a business meeting. It's not an emergency."

"Liz, my dad could lose the company to Quest Aerospace! This is important! I have to go!" Harry left. Liz looked after him. Soon after, the doorbell rang. She walked over to answer it.

"Ned!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Ned, what are you doing here?"

"I saw Harry leaving. Why are both of you upset?"

"Oh, it's nothing. He was going to take me to this dance. A couple of my friends were going to be there. Norman had a business meeting, so that ruined any possibility of that."

"Let me take you."

"Oh, no, I don't want to impose. Besides, don't you have a girlfriend?"

"That didn't last very long."

"I'm not surprised."

"I knew you wouldn't be."

"I didn't even know that you knew how to dance."

"You learn something new every day."

At George's Point, Gwen was starting to wake up from heavy sedation. She heard that somebody was behind her. Without thinking twice, she hit them. "Just because you're the police captain's daughter does not mean that you can go around randomly hitting people."

"Mary Jane! What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was a woman…"

"Alicia, right?"

"Right! How did you know?"

"She sedated both of us. She brought both of us to George's Point."

"Why would she do that?"

"Gwen, she wants to find out who runs George's Point. She wants to destroy them, and she wants to blow up George's Point."

"Oh, why does she have to blow up the last thing that dad gave me? WHY!?"

"Gwen, it'll be okay."

"Does she know who runs George's Point?"

"No. She's narrowed it down to Liz, you, and I."

"Aren't you worried, Mary Jane?"

"No. Spider-man will be here."

"Mary Jane, wake up! Spider-man gets into fights, and he ends up destroying lives! That's how George died!"

"Gwen, the fight between him and Dr. Octopus killed your father. He was trying to protect people from Octavius. I think that you need to think about that before you start to make accusations." Mary Jane started to walk up the steps of George's Point. "Gwen, he's not a bad person. He's just had bad luck. I'll see you later."

Harry looked at Norman. "Dad, are you sure that you don't want me to be at the business meeting today?"

"No. If they sell me out to Quest, I'm doing this alone. I need to sing this torch song myself."

"Dad, it'll be okay. We'll find business elsewhere. You're one of the most successful people in the world. Dad, I love you."

"I love you too, son."

Liz looked at Ned in amazement. "Ned, I never knew that you knew how to dance this well! Where are Peter, Gwen, and Mary Jane?"

"They're probably busy with the usual arguments."

Liz laughed. "Yeah, the three of them can get into some really big arguments."

"C'mon, let's dance."

Harry entered into the room. Upon seeing Liz with Ned, he felt angry and confused, so he left.

"Liz, I have to tell you something."

"What is it, Ned?"

"I didn't do this out of the goodness of my heart. I was trying to protect you…"

"Protect me from what?"

"This woman named Alicia Mongrail is after you, Liz. You need to be careful. Look out!" Ned pushed Liz over to the side as a bullet flew through the air.

"You were working for Alicia, Leeds. Why did you ruin her plan?"

"Oh great, Ned! Just great! You were disguising yourself as my dancing partner just so Mongrail could take a shot at me! Don't talk to me!"

"Liz, it's not like that! Liz, come back! I was trying to protect you. Liz!"

"Gentlemen, please. Let's come to order."

"Where's Norman Osborn? Doesn't he have to break off the contract with you?"

"I'm breaking off his contract. Quest Aerospace is more impressing than OsCorp, no matter how many monkey suits OsCorp manages to produce."

"I'm glad to hear that. Our test pilots are well trained, our resources are excellent…"

"That's a funny looking bird."

"Excuse me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I think that bird is going to fly into the window."

"That's no bird. That's…aaah!"

Mary Jane came down from the steps of George's Point. "Did you give any thought to what I said?"

"Mary Jane, you don't get it. You had an abusive father. My father could outshine Ward Cleaver."

"I know, Gwen. I know. He's a defender of the innocent, protector of the weak, and all around good guy…"

"Mary Jane, I don't need sarcasm now."

"I'm sorry, Gwen. George was a really great guy."

"He protected the people."

"So does Spider-man."

"Mary Jane, one of us is wrong about Spider-man. I just don't know which one it is yet."

"If he saves George's Point, will you forgive him?"

"George's Point is a building. George Stacy was a person. Mary Jane, there's a big difference."

"Both of them are in George Stacy's memory."

"If he didn't save George, he's not going to save us."

"Gwen, I'm living proof that Spider-man cares. You're living proof."

"What do you mean?"

"He sedates people who he thinks are going to get upset with him."

"Why? So he doesn't get the rage he deserves?"

"No. He's afraid that they'll try to fight him off. He wants to save them, Gwen. He can't save everybody."

"It's more like he can't save anybody."

"Gwen, you and _The Daily Bugle_ have preconceived notions about him. You're just making his job harder than it needs to be. He feels bad enough if he doesn't save somebody. Gwen, George loved the guy. He respected him. He would feel terrible if his death made his daughter hate Spider-man."

Gwen looked at Mary Jane silently. Suddenly, Gwen's cell phone rang. She looked at the caller id. "It's Peter. I have to take this call."


	31. Unresolved Solutions

**Chapter Nine**

_Unresolved Solutions_

Liz was at _The Daily Bugle_ after regular hours. She was staring in horror at the headline: **QUEST AEROSPACE OFFICIALS MURDERED! OSCORP IS BACK IN FULL POWER!** Just as she was thinking that this was definitely going to be depicting OsCorp in a bad light, she was shot in the arm. Just as she started to collapse to the floor, she was surprised because somebody caught her. "Ned!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Ned, what are you doing here? Is this another job for you? Mongrail's assignments are usually lethal…"

"Liz, I only agreed to that to protect you. I thought that if I was their little puppet, then I wouldn't hurt you. I was afraid that they would hire somebody who wouldn't think twice about hurting you."

Liz's heavy breathing stopped. "Thank you."

"C'mon, let me help you up."

Harry walked into Norman's house angrily. "Dad!"

"Son, this isn't the best time. Didn't you see the headlines?"

"Who murdered them?"

"I don't know. Our company is getting a lot of accusations."

"Dad, everybody knows the company is innocent!"

"Not everybody. In a strange way, I feel responsible for this."

"Dad, you're not responsible. You didn't kill them!"

"Look, son, could you come back later? This really isn't the best time."

"I need to be there for you."

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"Liz is cheating on me. I saw her with Ned Leeds, a reporter she works with at _The Daily Bugle_."

"Oh, son, I'm sorry. However, I don't think you'll need to worry about Liz and Ned again."

"Why is that?"

"These things always get resolved Harry, for better or for worse."

Mary Jane was looking out the window. "The window here is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Mary Jane, I know you're still mad at me."

"I'm trying to keep the peace, Gwen."

Mary Jane turned around. "Gwen, George couldn't save everybody."

"You're right, Mary Jane."

"So, why are you taking this out on Spider-man?"

"When family or friends die, you get angry at somebody. I even got angry at George once."

"You never got angry at George. I don't believe it."

"I did get angry at George."

"Why?"

"He tried to save somebody, and it didn't work."

"Who did he try to save?"

"Rachelle. She was quite a few years older than I was. Everybody thought that Liz and Rachelle were twins. They looked so much alike…"

"How did you know her?"

"She worked for justice in another city. Everybody knows everybody else when you're fighting for the same goal."

"What happened to her?"

"She died in a criminally-planned explosion."

"Gwen, I'm so sorry."

"Everybody was sorry. I got mad at George because he wasn't able to save her."

"Gwen, you got over that, and you were able to forgive him! That wasn't his fault. Just like George's death wasn't Spider-man's fault!"

Gwen looked at Mary Jane. She said nothing before she walked down the spiral staircase.

"Liz, are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Thank you, Ned. You don't have to stay with me all day."

"I want to."

"Thank you."

"Where's Harry?"

"He's busy. After the Quest Aerospace murders…"

"There's no excuse. He should be there for his fiancée."

"I'm fine as long as you're with me." They looked at each other. Unbeknownst to them, Norman was watching them via video surveillance. Norman frowned.

Back at George's Point, Gwen was sedated. Mary Jane looked up to see Peter, as Spider-man swing down. "Are both of you okay?"

"We're fine."

Harry went into Liz's hospital room. "Liz, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Harry."

"I see that Leeds has been taking excellent care of you."

"Harry, we're just friends."

"I didn't know that friends danced together."

"Harry, Ned was trying to protect me from Alicia Mongrail. That's all there is to it."

"Why didn't you invite me to dance?"

"You weren't available, remember? I wanted to see my friends. You were busy with a business meeting. I'm sorry about Quest-gate."

"Quest-gate?"

"What else did you want me to call that scandal? I know that you'll recover from it, and I know Norman will. Don't let the press get you down."

"I was never planning on letting the presses get me down."

"Good job, Harry. I'm sure that OsCorp will rise again."

"I'm sure of it."

Liz smiled.

"Liz, I have to go. There's another press conference."

"Okay, Harry." As Harry left, Liz frowned to herself.

Peter looked at Gwen. "Peter, do you think that I'm doing the right thing? I'm starting to think that maybe I should close George's Point."

"Why would you do that, Gwen?"

"I'm starting to think that you were right. There's just too many memories that are involved in this place, this place could be dangerous, and it's not a home for anybody."

"Gwen, it's a home for family legacies, it's a home for people who need it, and the city needs a sign of hope. Before George's Point, the city has nothing. George's Point is a light in the darkness."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so, Gwen."

"Thanks Peter."

"Why did you want to close it?"

"I realized that it could be used as a place to hold hostages. I also realized that I may have dusted off George's legacy."

"What do you mean?"

"I spent too much time in the editing room with George's legacy. I removed all of his faults and failures, and I over polished his advantages and successes."

"Gwen, your father was a truly great man. You didn't do any of those things. Is this about Rachelle?"

"I listened to somebody who was an infatuated, love-crazed woman who could never return to reality."

"Why would you listen to somebody like that?"

"I was trapped with her in George's Point."

"Let me guess, she's a red-haired woman who's getting married to the hot-shot astronaut John Jameson? Is her name Mary Jane?"

Gwen grinned. "You got it, tiger."

"Boy, when you're trapped with somebody, you start to act like them, don't you?"

Gwen laughed. She looked at Peter. "Peter, thank you for bringing me back to reality."

"You're welcome, Gwen." They hugged before they kissed.


	32. Loss of Power

**Chapter Ten**

_Loss of Power_

Wendy Macy looked at a photo of the radioactive spider that bit Peter. "Incredible! Due to a spider bite, this normal human kid gets spider-like powers.

Eliza Richards stopped her. "Can you imagine how powerful that can be?"

Jane Dodson looked at both of them. "We would be rich if we could get our hands on that."

"How in the world are three female scientists going to accomplish that," asked Eliza.

"I think I know how we can accomplish that," said Wendy. All of them grinned.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Gwen looked at Peter. "Can you believe that it's Halloween already?"

"That's hard to believe."

"I must say the atmosphere is correct this year. Some mad man is running around in a green goblin outfit."

Peter was silent. Gwen noticed that he was worried. "What's wrong, Peter?"

"It's just that there's some dangerous maniac in the city. Nobody knows where he is, and nobody knows what he plans to do."

"Peter, the police are already working on it! I'm working on it at George's Point!"

"I know. I also know that somebody else needs to work on it."

Their thoughts were interrupted by Liz walking into the room. "What is everybody talking about?"

"Halloween and that maniac in the city."

"Gwen, nothing says Halloween like a Green Goblin."

"Liz, aren't you worried at all?"

"Gwen, he's giving my fiancé's company a really bad rap, but I know that somebody will stop him."

"Who, Liz?"

"It's not important. Anyway, for the annual OsCorp Halloween party, Harry and I are going as Romeo and Juliet."

"Boy, Liz, the ideas you pick out sometimes…"

"What do you mean, Peter?"

"Last year, you and Harry went as Antony and Cleopatra. Every newspaper in town had a photo of both of you kissing. Then, the newspapers tried to accuse your relationship as being nothing but a senseless love affair."

"This year, they can say that it's going to be a senseless love affair that will end in a double suicide. What's the difference? Who cares what the newspapers think?"

"Norman Osborn does."

"I'll apologize at Thanksgiving. Now, Peter, Mary Jane wanted to talk to you."

"What did she want to talk to me about?"

"She wouldn't say. It's probably nothing. Anyway, Gwen and I have to help decorate for tonight's party."

"I'm surprised that Norman Osborn is making his son's fiancée lift a finger."

"Believe me; he's thrilled when I lift my finger to show people my engagement ring. Besides, I want to help decorate. We'll see you later, Peter."

Peter went over to see Mary Jane. "Liz said that you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes. You're still Spider-man's photographer, right?"

"As far as I know, I am still his photographer."

"Tell him that I said thank you for saving Gwen and I."

"I'm sure he already knows that you're grateful."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. It seems like the whole city is against him."

"It only seems like that because of _The Daily Bugle_."

"Has he figured out what's he's going to do about the Green Goblin?"

"He's working on it. However, he has a strict no killing code."

"Some of the family members of the deceased practically want to stick a knife in the Goblin's back."

"I know they do. They're just angry."

"How is he going to handle them?"

"He doesn't know yet."

"Peter, I think that everything that Spider-man has done for the city is great. However, he needs to take care of this guy. Otherwise, the whole city may collapse."

Peter was silent for a moment. "I'll see you later, MJ."

Peter looked at Liz and Harry. "There you are. The most tragic lovers of present day dressed as the most tragic lovers of the past."

"Very funny, Peter." Liz turned around. "Ned, I can't believe you're here!"

"When you told me about this, I figured that I would give it a shot."

"I'm glad that you came. Harry, could you excuse me please?"

Harry looked at Peter. "At first, I was jealous. Now, I realize that they're just friends, and it's no big deal."

"Harry, she needs to be with you now, not Ned."

"I know, Peter. I think she needs some space because of what happened at Quest Aerospace."

"How is Norman holding up?"

"Dad's really worried. I've never seen him like this. Things should get better. They always do."

Peter saw Gwen, Liz, and Mary Jane walking towards him. "So, you're the man with the radioactive spider bite."

Peter looked at Dr. Connors. "No offense, but I was enjoying my time away from here."

"Parker, I don't think you could ever get away from Secret Hospital."

"Are they going to be okay?"

"They're going to be fine."

"What happened?"

"Oh, nothing. Just some power hungry female scientists."

"You say that like it happens all the time."

"What can I say? Nothing surprises me."

"What happened to Alicia Mongrail?"

"The Green Goblin permanently ended her career."

"Listen, about this Green Goblin character…"

"He's a nut in a goblin outfit, Parker. That's all there is to it."

"I'm wouldn't be so sure."

"I would. Some guy will stop him in his tracks, don't worry about it."

Peter was silent. "Why do you kill the inhabitants?"

"Peter, we've had this conversation a million times before…"

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Why do you?"

"If you want to take your weird problems to somebody else…"

"Secret Hospital is the only place…"

"Parker, with all the weird stuff that goes on here, this method seems to be the only one to stop a problem before it can escalate."

"That's why you told me not to worry about the goblin…"

"Peter, everybody is looking for him. If I know him correctly, his career will soon be finished." He turned around to face Peter. "Don't worry about it, Parker. Let us handle the weirdos and the weird problems. It's his life over tons of others. Think about that, Parker."


	33. The Tense Thanksgiving

**Chapter Eleven**

_The Tense Thanksgiving_

Mary Jane looked at May. "May, I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Do you think that I would miss Thanksgiving with Peter in the Osborn Penthouse?"

"This will be great! It's the first thanksgiving that everybody gets to be together!"

Meanwhile, Liz looked at Gwen. "Gwen, can we talk privately? I need to tell you something?"

"Sure, Liz." Both of them walked up the stairs. "Okay, what is it?"

"I don't want to marry Harry. I love Ned."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Liz, what?"

"I feel bad enough, Gwen. I don't know how I'm going to tell Harry…"

Norman walked up the steps. "There they are! Look, I hope I'm not interrupting a private conversation, but the rest of us are ready to start dinner."

May smiled as she saw Gwen and Liz coming down the stairs. "So, there's the media princess."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ever since you got engaged to Harry, the media can't concentrate on anything else."

"Oh, May, stop bluffing."

"I'm not bluffing. At least it gives the media something else to think about. Oh, Norman, I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, May. Everybody knows that OsCorp is innocent in the Quest Aerospace murders. So, Liz, why don't you tell everybody about your friend?"

"What friend?"

"Ned Leeds. Of course, if I didn't know any better, I would suspect that it's nothing more than a friendship. Why, of course, Liz. You would never do anything to hurt Harry. I know that it's going to be a great, long lasting marriage, no matter what the media says. I also know that you love Harry so much, that you'd never dream of hurting him."

"Dad, stop, you're embarrassing her."

"There's nothing wrong with honoring your son's fiancée." He stopped. "Is there?"

Mary Jane looked at Peter. He didn't know what was going on, and neither did she.

May looked at Peter. "Oh, Peter, I want you to be more careful when you're in the city. In fact, everybody needs to be more careful."

"Why is that, Aunt May?"

"That Green Goblin maniac is on the loose in the city. Who knows what he will do next?"

Norman smiled at Peter. "Thanks for the warning, May, but nobody needs to worry themselves about some maniac in a goblin suit. So, Peter, is another wedding coming up?"

"What do you mean, Norman?"

"Isn't it obvious, Peter? You and Gwen have been dating for a number of years. The poor woman is probably getting impatient. Besides, I know that you would hate to lose her."

"Dad, is there something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, son. I'm just trying to have a quiet, happy thanksgiving with all of you. Ah, there's somebody new at the table this year. Mary Jane Watson. When Harry told me that he was dating somebody, I was sure that you were that person. That's why when I found out that it was Liz; it came to me as a surprise. However, now I know that you're not Harry's type. You're engaged to John Jameson now, right?"

"That's correct, Norman."

"Well, I wish you well. No, I knew that you weren't Harry's type. He's a man of caliber, strength, and wealth. Like I said before, you weren't Harry's type. You know, if Peter ever loses Gwen, both of you would be perfect for each other…"

May interrupted him. "Mr. Osborn, I know that you've been the victim of a media circus. This must be tiring and very confusing for you. I would like to wish everybody well, and I would like to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. I would also like to thank everybody for coming." She paused. Everybody was still stunned. "Okay, let's eat."

After the meal, Gwen grabbed Peter. "Peter, I have to talk to you."

"Listen, if it's about Norman's behavior, I'm sorry…"

"It's not about that. I have to tell you something."

"Okay."

"Norman was speaking the truth about something."

"Gwen, he was tired. Don't think that any of that nonsense is the truth…"

"Liz loves Ned."

"C'mon, Gwen! Get serious! Liz and Ned Leeds! You're… you're… not joking."

"No, I'm not."

"How do you know?"

"She told me Peter. She told me before the meal started."

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"Peter, she feels awkward enough about it as it is…"

"She still should've told me. I'm one of her closest friends."

"Peter, if it helps, everybody was insulted by Norman's comments. Everybody quickly ate their meal, and then they left the penthouse."

"Norman Osborn is a man of wealth. He's not going to react well to Liz breaking off the engagement. He has enough bad news on his plate already…"

"Peter, it's not fair for Liz to go through with the marriage."

"I know, Gwen."

"I don't even know who Norman is anymore. I used to view him as this wonderful father to Harry. Ever since this media circus started…"

"You don't know how to view him anymore, right?"

"That's correct."

"Everybody will get over this, I know they will. Norman was right about something else, though."

"What's that?"

"I don't want to lose you."

Mary Jane was running to catch up to Harry. "Harry, what's wrong with Norman?"

"Mary Jane, I don't have time for this."

"He never acted like that before."

"Look, Mary Jane, I need to be there for him. If something's wrong, I'll figure it out. Now, please, for once in your life, mind your own business!"

Liz went over to George's Point. She looked out the window. "It's true, isn't it?" She turned around to see Peter.

"What's true?"

"Gwen told me what you told her."

"Peter…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Liz, you're the only person who knows my identity who's still alive."

"That's only because Sally Avril told me while she was still alive!"

"Liz, let's not argue. It's been a weird day."

"You can say that again. Peter, let me make my own choices about who I want to marry. This is a choice that I need to make." She started to leave. "Peter, I know that one day nobody will need Spider-man anymore. On that day, our friendship will be how it was before… before… before you became Spider-man. I will be there for you on that day. Life will return to being normal on that day." She left him standing there.


	34. One Ring Circus

**Chapter Twelve**

_One Ring Circus_

Mary Jane noticed Peter from across the room. "Peter, there you are! I hope that Mr. Jameson isn't working you too hard."

"Mary Jane, it's his son's engagement party. He wants all of the memories that he can get."

"I guess so. Well, it's time to take more pictures with John. I'll see you later, Peter."

"I'll see you later, MJ."

Mary Jane climbed up the top of the steps. She turned around to look at Peter. Gwen is lucky, she thought to herself. Finally, she joined John on the steps.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Parker! Parker! Why aren't you taking more pictures? I need all of the pictures! I am paying you for this! If I don't get a decent picture, you're fired! Do you hear me!? Fired!"

Peter sighed. "Yes, Mr. Jameson." As Peter looked across the room, he saw Harry. "Harry, you haven't said a word this evening. What's wrong?"

"It's everything, Peter. The media is treating dad like he's this scientific nut who's going to blow billions of dollars. So much for the fame and fortune part. Also, Liz won't return any of my calls, e-mails, or anything."

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"If you knew that there was somebody else in her life, would you tell me?"

"Why would I know?"

"You've been her best friend for forever, Peter. I was just a whirlwind romance in her life. There's a big difference. Now, is there somebody else?"

Peter was silent. "Everybody, please welcome the man of the hour, Mr. John Jameson." Both of them looked to see John coming up to the podium.

"I just want to say how lucky I am to have Mary Jane in my life. She's an amazing, great woman, and I'm just so grateful that she said 'yes' when I popped the question. I'm confident that we'll have many happy years together. Thank you."

Harry turned to Peter. "That wasn't heartfelt. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he was getting paid to say those words."

"Excuse me, John. Thank you. As mayor of Andersonton, I would like to send my condolences to Quest Aerospace. They underwent many losses, emotionally and financially, and I want to send my condolences to them. However, I want to wish them the best from here. I am pleased to announce that I am one of their biggest supporters. I am also pleased to announce that Quest Aerospace will be buying OsCorp. I know that they will conquer all in the future, and I just want to wish them the best future possible. Thank you for your time." He left to rounds of applause. Mary Jane, Harry, and Peter just looked at the podium. Harry was in shock. Mary Jane turned to John.

"I'll see you later. I need some air."

Mary Jane went out on the balcony. Peter followed after her. "For being the belle of the ball, you certainly want to get away from John a lot."

"Thanks Peter. Shouldn't you be with Harry? The announcement must be devastating for himself and his family."

"I want to give Harry some time alone. His family life, romantic life, and financial life seems to be going down the drain."

"What do you mean by Harry's romantic life?"

"He thinks that Liz is in love with somebody else."

"That's ridiculous. Liz would never fall in love with somebody else."

"MJ, she loves Ned."

"Ned Leeds? I thought they hated each other…"

"I thought they did too. However, she told Gwen, and Gwen told me."

"Has she told Harry yet?"

"No. She's lowered her communication with him, so he's starting to get suspicious."

"Peter, did you tell him?"

"No. That's between the two of them. MJ, I'm sorry about the awkward Thanksgiving…"

"I'm already over that, Peter."

"I'm happy for you."

"Peter, there was a time in my life when I thought that your friendship, as little as it was, would be enough to satisfy me. That time is over."

"Mary Jane…"

"John can be there for me, you never are. I don't feel like a third wheel. Feeling like a third wheel would be a major upgrade from what I feel right now."

"Mary Jane, I'm always busy. I'm sorry about that. Look, I'm happy for you. Harry and I were talking. Every time both of you are together, it seems like both of you are getting paid to act like a happy engaged couple. Basically, it's a lot of fluff, and no real feeling. I can't be there for you. I just can't." Peter left her on the balcony.

Harry looked at Peter. "Peter, I just can't believe this!"

"Harry, the people from Quest Aerospace are here! Don't make a scene! This will only add to bad publicity."

"Peter, let me do what I want to do." Harry left him.

"Peter, take a picture of them!" Peter turned around to see. J.J.J. "C'mon both of you! We need a photo of both of you kissing for _The Daily Bugle_!"

"Wow, that kiss was awkward. Wasn't it Harry… Harry?" Peter turned around. Harry was gone. Peter started to look for Harry. Suddenly, he heard a loud crash. The balcony window had broken through. Peter looked around. The room was in a total chaos. Then, Peter saw a green figure. The green figure was about to push something he held in his hand, but the figure changed his mind upon seeing Harry. The figure threw something at the chandelier. The chandelier was headed towards Mary Jane. Peter, in the Spider-man suit, spun a web strand towards her. The strand carried her over to him. She stopped her heavy breathing.

"Thank you." She smiled at him. "The world needs more people like you."

Screams echoed through the room. Peter turned around to see what it was. The people responsible for the Quest Aerospace-OsCorp sale had been murdered. Peter swung out of the room. He had to find the maniac.

John looked at Mary Jane. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"The arachnid saved you."

"Please tell me that you do not view him as your father views him."

"Of course not. I admire what he does. I admire you for going through this."

"This engagement is too expensive for me to break off."

"It's the same for me."

Gwen looked at Peter. "It's frustrating, Peter. Somehow, I know that dad could've stopped these murders. I feel powerless at George's Point."

"Gwen, you're not powerless. You never were."

"I still miss him."

"I miss him, too."


	35. Hero in Disguise

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Hero in Disguise _

Gwen looked at Peter. "Peter, I just thought of something."

"What is it?"

"This green goblin maniac seems to target whoever speaks out against OsCorp."

"It's a strange trend, I know."

"Peter…" She turned around. She showed Peter the tape of Mary Jane's engagement party. "Peter, someone else is supporting Quest Aerospace."

"What do you mean?"

"I think he's next on the goblin's victim list."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Gwen, are you sure?"

"Peter, this is his trend. You can't take too many precautions with this guy."

"You're right, Gwen."

"I'm using televisions here at George's Point to try to watch everything."

"Okay, Gwen. Gwen, I have to go."

"Okay, Peter. I'll see you later."

"Gwen…"

"Yes, Peter?"

"Just remember to get some fresh air. George's Point is great, but I want you to maintain some social life. Don't eat leftover Chinese food every night."

"Peter…"

"Just stay safe." Peter left the room. A worried Gwen turned her attention back to the screens.

"Well, Mary Jane had her engagement party last night. I bet that was a blast." Liz smiled at Peter.

"More than you know."

"What?"

"The Green Goblin crashed the party."

"Peter… was anybody hurt?"

"He murdered the people responsible for the sale of OsCorp."

"Peter… this has to be difficult for you."

"It is, Liz. It seems like no matter how hard I try, somebody's always going to get hurt."

Liz looked at Peter. "If you ever need to give Spider-man up, I will be there for you."

Peter looked at Liz. "So, Liz, have you made a decision yet?"

"Peter…"

"What? Miss Richardson is going to leave us with a cliffhanger? So, who will she choose?"

"It's like you said, Peter. No matter whom I choose, somebody is always going to get hurt."

"Uh, Liz, I have to go. Mary Jane is calling me."

Mary Jane looked at Peter. "I'm sorry, Peter. I should've never said those words last night."

"MJ, you're a great friend, but I have to be there for Gwen and Liz. I do wish you and John all of the happiness in the world."

"Peter, just because you wish for something, doesn't mean that it's going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know what I mean. Peter, you're a great friend. Somehow, if you could, I know you'd be there for the world."

"More than you know, MJ. More than you know. Hold on, Liz is calling me. What could this be about? I just saw her."

Liz looked at Peter. "Peter, why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me what Gwen thought? I know she's right."

"Liz, ever since her father died, Gwen has spent a lot of time at George's Point. In fact, she's spending too much time at George's Point. I thought that maybe the loneliness was finally getting to her."

"Peter, she has a fine social life. Who are you to call your girlfriend crazy? You're the one who jumps around buildings in tights."

"Cute, Liz. Why do you think that she's right?"

"Peter, it makes all of the sense in the world. Why wouldn't he be the next victim of the goblin? The goblin targets those who are for Quest Aerospace and/or against OsCorp. He gave a speech at Mary Jane's engagement party last night promoting Quest Aerospace. Knowing the goblin's pattern, he would be next."

Peter stood still for a second. "I have to see Gwen."

"Why?"

"I have to apologize to her. She was right all along. I just didn't see it until you spelled it out for me."

Peter went over to George's Point. "Gwen? Gwen?" He looked around for her. Finally, he saw a note.

**Dear Peter,**

** First off, I want to thank you. You were right. George's Point is a great place to become anti-social. I need to be there for the public. Oh, and I forgive you. I know you came here to apologize, so your apology is accepted. Like I said before, I need to be there for the public. I'll see you later. When I do, hopefully this whole goblin maniac crisis will be taken care of. Don't worry. I'm not going to London again. I'm here. However, where I'm going, you can't come with me. It would be too dangerous. I'm sorry. I love you. I'll always love you.**

** Love,**

** Gwen**

Peter stared at the note for several seconds. Finally, he raced to see Liz. "Liz, I'm too late! She's going to get herself hurt!" He handed Liz the note.

"Peter, this is the problem with Spider-man. One average, regular guy does it, and everybody wants to become a hero."

"Liz, don't blame Spider-man for this. Gwen hates Spider-man. He wasn't her inspiration. George was. She always admired him for protecting the public. He died protecting the public. I can't let that happen to her. I can't!"

"Peter, I wish I could tell you that everything was going to be all right, but I can't promise you anything. I've been through too many bad situations. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you that, but I can't."

Suddenly, their attention was turned to the TV. "Breaking News Alert: The Andersonton mayor's daughter has been kidnapped!"

Liz turned to Peter. "Peter!"

"Liz, I'm already out the door."

At Secret Hospital, they were welcoming a new nurse. "Your resume looks fantastic. What did you say that your name was?"

"Debra. Debra Whitman. I just want to tell you how thrilled I am to be working here."

"Debra, if we turned down somebody with your resume, we would be crazy. You will have access to all of the rooms here. I know that Secret Hospital sounds like the title of a hospital. We're a normal hospital in some ways, and in some ways, we're a completely different hospital."

She smiled. "I'm just thrilled to have the opportunity to work here. May I see Dr. Connors?"

"He may be busy, so ask him first."

"Thank you." She walked into his office.

"I admire you, Gwen. You're trying to protect the public just like your father."

"Please. Call me Debra."

"Fake name, too? I'm impressed."

"Listen…. I need access to that room…

"That room is almost impossible to get access to, Gwen. People die in there from hypothermia."

"Please give me access to that room."

"You're going to have to break into that room."

"I'm willing to break into that room." She left.

"It's at your own risk, Debra."


	36. A Hero Lost

**Chapter Fourteen**

_A Hero Lost_

Gwen looked behind her. Using her coat, she broke the glass in the door. She looked into the room. This is the room, she thought to herself. Carefully, she put her hand through where the window once was. She unlocked the door from the other side of the door. She looked at the child, who by this time had fallen unconscious. She grabbed the child off of the table. "I'm going to get you home," Gwen said to her. Gwen had no idea what was coming next.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter looked at Liz. "I guess she was serious this time."

"What are you talking about, Peter?"

"Mary Jane. She was serious this time. She hasn't called me since… since…"

"Since the Normandy invasion. Peter, I can't believe you!"

"What?"

"You should be out there looking for Gwen. No, you should be looking for Gwen and the mayor's poor daughter. I can't believe you. You're just sitting here like a lame duck when something horrible could be happening this very minute. Gwen is missing, and you're sitting there wondering why Mary Jane doesn't pick up the phone anymore. Why don't you just read the newspaper while you're at it?"

"Liz, I looked for them. I honestly looked for them. I'm trying not to assume the worst. The goblin is one of the biggest threats to the city. He's also Spider-man's biggest threat."

"Peter, stop talking about Spider-man in the third person. If Spider-man were another person, he wouldn't be sitting here going, 'Oh no, Miss Watson didn't call today! I wonder if she shall ever call again! Where's the newspaper? I want to read today's headline.' He wouldn't be doing what you're doing right now. You're doing nothing right now."

"You're right, Liz. I'm going. By the way, stop the Shakespearean sarcastic talk."

Gwen looked at her. She was finally starting to become a little conscious. "Gwe…Gwen?"

"I'm here. I'm going to get you some help. I need to rescue you from the hypothermia. I'm going to get you to a hospital."

"What is… what is… hypo… hypo…?" She stopped. She was starting to sleep again.

Gwen started to run. She knew that if she wanted to save her, she would have to get to the hospital in time. Gwen was starting to hate Secret Hospital. Not only was it weird, but she didn't trust the place where the goblin could hold somebody hostage. That's why she escaped with her from Secret Hospital before Secret Hospital could treat her. Suddenly, Gwen heard an evil laugh. She turned around to see the green figure that she had heard so much about. Suddenly, she saw Peter, as Spider-man, swinging after him. After screaming, Gwen started to run with the child in her arms. Finally, she saw the hospital.

Liz looked at Harry. "Harry, Norman has so much money, yet he can't spend any of it when a crisis like this comes up?"

"Look, Liz, it's difficult to explain. Norman doesn't consider that to be his job."

"He should. He's the only one who can afford it."

"He knows that other people can afford it and he thinks that they can do a much better job than he ever could when it comes to saving people."

"He just needs more self-confidence, that's all."

"I must say, I'm a little shocked that I heard from you, Liz."

"Why would you be shocked? I would always look to my fiancé in a time of crisis."

"For a while there, I thought that there might be somebody else in your life. Then, I thought, the only other guy in your life besides Peter is Ned Leeds, and you hate him. A relationship between the two of you would never happen. Peter is your best friend, so that would never happen either."

"Harry… Harry… what's happening with Gwen?"

Gwen waited for the doctor. She looked at Peter. "Peter, I should've never left without saying goodbye. All you got was a stupid little note. I'm glad that you showed up."

"We're good moral support for each other."

"Yes we are."

The doctor came out. "Gwen, first off, I just want to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of your father. He was a great man."

"Thank you. How is she?"

"Gwen, I'm so sorry. We tried, but…"

Gwen bit her lip as her eyes watered. She pushed Peter away. She walked out of the hospital doors.

May looked at Peter. "Peter, I'm so sorry. Gwen just wanted to be alone. I wanted to be alone when Ben died. You just think that nobody can comfort you. You want to distance yourself from everybody. You're afraid that if you don't, you'll do or say the wrong thing."

"Spider-man blames himself. Now, he feels like he has to concentrate his efforts even more on saving the city…"

"Spider-man saved me. A maniac like the Green Goblin comes along just to taunt the hero. The villain always wants to test the hero. Also, the villain wants to test the hero to break them down. The villain wants the hero to become the villain. So, even though heroes get tested by their local newspapers, the maniacs, and the public, they'll be okay. They're tested because they can take it. I know you feel bad. I also know that he feels bad. One day, Gwen will know the truth. I was like Gwen at first. However, Gwen will recover from this. I know she will."

"Thanks Aunt May."

"I'll see you later, Peter."

Gwen angrily stormed into the Osborn mansion. "How dare you! You could've spent some money, hired the best search teams possible, and she would've been saved! How dare you!"

"Gwen, this is my business! Everybody wants to take it away from me! I labored long and hard for this business! Now, I'm dealing with bad publicity, and problems that a simple-minded girl like you wouldn't begin to understand!"

"Oh, I understand, all right. You're just the crooked businessman like everybody says you are! I wanted to believe that they were wrong. I wanted to view you as Harry's friendly father. I was wrong. In that belief, I was simple-minded."

"Gwen, please leave! Otherwise, I will have you arrested!" Gwen left without saying another word. Norman was still angry. I spent too much time caring for Peter when I should've been caring for Harry, he thought to himself. He picked up a picture of Gwen and Peter together, and he threw it into the fireplace.

Peter was walking down the street. Gwen saw him. "Peter, can you forgive me? I should've never left you at the hospital."

"I shouldn't have left you at the hospital."

"I feel bad. I yelled at Norman, I pushed you, and neither of you deserved it."

"You were upset. You blamed yourself and others for her death. I can understand that. May was the same way after Ben died. I was the same way after Ben died."

Gwen smiled. "I can always count on you to be there for me. I love you, Peter." They hugged before they kissed.


	37. One Bad Review

**Chapter Fifteen**

_One Bad Review_

Liz stared at J.J.J. in shock. "You can't be serious, can you?"

"Miss Richardson, everybody will want to buy an article written by the fiancée of Norman Osborn's son that trashes OsCorp."

"Mr. Jameson, I won't do this."

"Look, Richardson, the more papers, the more money, and a raise for you. If you don't do this, you're fired! Do you hear me? Fired!"

Liz sighed. She walked away from J.J.J. She stared at the computer. She started to type.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Harry looked at Liz. "Liz, this is a surprise!"

"Harry, I had to come over. I have something to tell you. Mr. Jameson made me write an article that bashed OsCorp for _The Daily Bugle_. When you and Norman see the article, remember that it's not what I felt. I was just acting the part to keep my job. After all, everybody's a critic, right? Norman has put up with critics before…"

"So, you're willing to trash my father's company just to keep your lousy, cheapskate job?"

"Harry, it's not like that at all…"

"I can't believe you, Liz! How could you do this to him? How could you do this to me?"

"Harry…"

"Liz, you have changed. Liz, do you care about me at all?"

"Harry, I want to be independent. I want to have a job. I don't want to be a gold digger, and I don't want to be portrayed that way. I want to help out. I want to contribute."

"You can contribute by not writing the article. You didn't answer the question. Do you care about me at all?"

"Harry… I…"

"Liz, it's always a pleasure to see you, but why are you here?"

Both of them looked up to see Norman. "Harry, Norman, I… I have to go." She left.

"What was that about, son?"

Peter looked at Liz in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Liz, I can't believe it either."

"Peter, we're supposed to support each other. Did you forget that?"

"I'm sorry, Liz, I'm siding with Harry on this one. You should've quit." Peter left the room.

The next day, a frustrated Liz went to _The Daily Bugle_. "J.J.J., I need to talk to you." He said nothing. "I thought I was your star reporter after those newspaper sales." He just stared out into the open. "Say something!"

"We've been trashed."

Liz looked around. "Who did this?"

"I don't know. Your cubicle was hit the worst."

Liz went over to her cubicle. "Why are there extra post-it notes on my wall?"

"That's another part of the trash."

Liz looked at them. "Jameson, they're bloody."

Peter looked at Liz. "Well, what did the DNA tests reveal?"

"Liz, it's the blood of the people from Quest Aerospace."

"You don't mean…"

"He's after you, Liz. I blame myself. I should've never told you my identity."

"Peter, you should've! I'm your best friend. I have a right to know!"

"I know. However, that only increased your chances of becoming a victim."

Liz sighed. She started to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to _The Daily Bugle_."

"Today, Liz? It's not safe!"

"Peter, I need the money and the job. Nothing stops a good reporter. Not even bloody post-it notes."

Liz recognized the same blank stare on Jameson's face. "What happened this time?"

"All of our data is gone. All of it. Our archives are empty. It must be a competitor."

"Don't worry, Mr. Jameson. I saved all of _The Daily Bugle_ archives to a thumb drive. Don't you remember that raise that you gave me for saving the archives to a second place?" Liz walked over to her drawer.

"I never forget how I spend a penny. Well, let me have it!"

"Mr. Jameson…"

"What!?"

"It's gone. There's also more blood."

The next day, Liz looked at Peter. "Well, Peter, same result?"

"It's the same blood. Liz, it's not safe for you to go to work!"

"Peter, Gwen retrieved the archives using George's Point. Which means, that Mr. Jameson won't kill me. It's safe to go to work. Besides, how do you know that it is the goblin? It could be some maniac with a bunch of access."

"Liz, ever since you wrote that OsCorp article, things have not been going well for you. The goblin, for whatever reason, seems to strike when something bad happens to the Osborn Company or family."

Liz shrugged. "It's just a coincidence. Peter, I have to do what I have to do."

Liz smiled as she entered into _The Daily Bugle _office. "Do you see, Peter? Everything's back to normal.

"Richardson! Parker! Both of you better write excellent articles for me today! It's enough monkey business!"

"You're right, Liz. Things are definitely back to normal."

Liz smiled. She sat down at her desk. Suddenly, her cubicle became engrossed in flames. Peter quickly changed into the Spider-man suit before racing over to the cubicle. "Spider-man! What are you doing in my office? Public menaces like you should be arrested for just barging in! What in the world…" Jameson stared at them in disbelief.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital."

"Thank you."

"No problem, Miss Richardson." Peter, as Spider-man, left with Liz.

"Did you see that? That public menace is flame proof, and he just left with one of my best reporters!"

Peter went over to Liz's appointment. "Hi, Peter, Gwen isn't home."

"That's okay. I wanted to talk to you. It's about something that Gwen would never understand, unfortunately. Sit down. Listen, Liz, I want you to quit your job. It's too dangerous. There has been three events this week that were almost life threatening. Find a job elsewhere. Any rival newspaper company would love to take you. Besides, Jameson treats you like dirt. Obviously, somebody knows where you are, and they want to hurt you. It's not vandalism and tomfoolery anymore. Now, whoever it is, is trying to kill you. I won't let that happen."

"Peter, I've been there for you, and now I need you to be there for me. There are risks with any job, believe it or not. I'm not quitting my job. I like helping the public. I'm not going to be scared off by some maniac who has way too much time on his hands. Peter, I need you to respect my decision."

"Liz, you're making the wrong choice."

"Peter, sometimes in life, you need to take risks. This is one of those times. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a _Daily Bugle_ article to write."


	38. Rough Day at the Office

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Rough Day at the Office_

Liz smiled at Peter as she walked into _The Daily Bugle_ office. "Peter, somehow I know that today is going to be a normal day," she said almost nonchalantly.

"Liz, I think you have given the water cooler enough conversation for one week."

"You're right, Peter." She looked up to see Harry. "Harry, this is a surprise. What are you doing here? You never come to see me at _The Daily Bugle_. Is something wrong?"

"Liz, when your fiancée has three rough days at the office, you're there for her. Unless you don't care."

"Thank you, Harry." Liz turned around to see somebody else. "Ned! You're back from your vacation!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Yes, it was a long-deserved vacation, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Ah, Harry Osborn. You finally decided to grace the peasants with your presence."

"Ned Leeds, the sarcastic newspaper reporter who Liz can't stand. I'm here for her. Just in case you didn't hear, Liz has had a rough week."

"Anybody who works for J.J.J. Jameson has a rough week. Isn't that correct, Peter?"

"That's correct. Gwen! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure that Liz was okay."

"Man, I have one bad week, and everybody comes out of the woodwork. Maybe Miss MIA will show up."

"Liz, Mary Jane is getting married, and she needs her space."

"Peter, if I was getting married, I would want to be by my closest friends."

"You're not Mary Jane."

"I'm grateful I'm not."

"Richardson! Leeds! Parker! Your little family reunion is over! Your friends can stay, but you three need to get to work!"

"Yes, Mr. Jameson."

"Parker! Come here a second!"

"Yes, Mr. Jameson?"

"All you've been able to give me in the past week is nature pictures. I didn't hire you to go bird watching! I hired you to take pictures of that Spider-man maniac! If you don't have any pictures of him, you're fired!"

Peter pulled out one picture. J.J.J. stared at it. "It's enough to get you by this time."

"Mr. Jameson, don't you think that the city wants to see pictures of the city itself? I'm sure people are getting tired of seeing Spider-man when they sit down to eat breakfast…"

"Spider-man only, Parker! Now, get out of my office!" The phone rang. "Hello, _The Daily Bugle_ office, how can I help you?" J.J.J. hung up the phone in a hurry. "Everybody! Save the archives! Go down to the basement!"

"What's wrong, Jameson?"

"Richardson, we've been threatened by the green menace himself."

Everybody walked down to the basement. "Peter, I hope everything will be okay."

"It will be okay, Gwen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's better than saying the alternative."

Harry looked at Liz. "Liz, I told you that you should've quit this place."

"I told you that all jobs have risks."

"Not like this."

"Ned, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I knew that the first day of work after vacation would be rough. I just didn't know that it would be this rough."

"Welcome back."

Finally, everybody was in the basement. For once in his life, J.J.J. was quiet. Liz sat down on a table. "Well, girl Friday didn't know that her job would ever be this difficult."

"Thanks Ned."

"Everybody, be quiet!" J.J.J. looked up towards the roof.

"What's wrong, Jameson?"

"I thought I heard something." Suddenly, the roof crashed in. "Everybody, get down on the floor! Be careful!"

"Jameson…"

"Where is Liz Richardson? The only person who can write a deadly article." The green figure moved through the rubble. "More importantly, where is Ned Leeds?"

Gwen started to get up. "Gwen, no!"

"Let me do this, Peter. I'm Liz Richardson."

"Nice try, Gwendolyn." He pushed her to the side. "Now, where are Liz Richardson and Ned Leeds?" Upon seeing Harry, he grabbed him. "Harry Osborn, where is Ned Leeds?"

"I…I… don't know."

"I'm Ned Leeds." The green figure turned around to see Ned. He grabbed him. "Now, where is Liz Richardson?"

"Peter, it's time."

"Liz, don't… He's targeting the people…"

"Whispering is not going to help us, Peter."

She stood up. "I'm Liz Richardson."

"So, you're the little troublemaker. Now, pick one."

"I don't understand you. Actually, I don't understand you at all, but that conversation is for another time."

"Pick one to save." He raised his hands towards both of their necks.

"I can't," Liz desperately said. The goblin released both of them. "

This time, your luck prevailed. Next time, you won't be so lucky."

"This time, you're not so lucky." The green figure turned around to see Peter, as Spider-man.

"You little webhead…"

"Come with me." Peter swung a web towards the ceiling. He grabbed the goblin before swinging both of them through the wall. J.J.J. looked through the big hole in the wall.

"That public menace! I'm going to sue him for property damage!"

Liz hugged Ned. "Ned…"

"Thank you, Liz."

"You're welcome."

Harry looked at her. "What was that about?" However, Liz did not respond. "Liz, I… I… have to go." Harry left.

J. J.J. fought his way through the rubble to reach Liz. "Liz, when you started out here, I thought that your writing was terrible. There was no way that I wanted to hire you. Somehow, you managed to talk me into it. However, when I had you write that article, you didn't want to. Ever since that article, nothing has gone right for _The Daily Bugle_. I can't turn back. There's only one solution."

"Jameson, we could always print a retraction with a huge apology."

"Liz, this person targets people who speak out against OsCorp. The damage is already done. This is the fourth incident this week. I have to pay for a lot of property damage. Your great writing isn't worth it anymore, Liz."

"Jameson…"

"Liz Richardson, you're fired!"


	39. From Generation to Generation

**Chapter Seventeen**

_From Generation to Generation_

"Peter, I'm glad that I got fired from _The Daily Bugle_," Liz said.

"Liz, you said you would never quit. Why are you happy about being fired?"

"Being happy about being fired is better than being sad about being fired. My friends were going to be in danger if I stayed there. I would never put my job over my friends."

"That's great of you, Liz. Both of us always try to put our friends over our jobs."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Neither would I. Liz, could you hand me today's newspaper, please?"

"Sure, Peter." She handed it to him. He grimaced.

"Liz, you're hurting me."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz took the newspaper back. She looked at Peter in shock. "Peter, how was I hurting you?"

"As soon as the newspaper hit my hand, it began to hurt."

"Peter, your hand is bleeding!"

"This is weird."

"Peter, this isn't weird."

"C'mon, Liz! When I pick up the paper, I don't expect blood to be on my hands afterwards."

"Peter, do you remember what I told you about my mom?"

"How could I forget that conversation? May had just told me a family secret. It's not the sort of thing that's easy to forget."

"Peter, I'm serious."

"Liz, it can't be the genetics… can it?"

"I'll see you later, Peter. I have to go."

"Liz! Liz!"

"Peter, I need somebody to be there for me today, all day, and I know that you can't be there for me all day."

"Liz…"

"Peter, you have other responsibilities."

"Liz, I'd be there for you anytime. However, I can't give up Spider-man, and I promised Mary Jane that I would be in the audience tonight."

"Peter, you can watch her play anytime."

"Liz, she's counting on me. I already got the tickets. This isn't life threatening."

"It's social life threatening! If I can't even hand you a newspaper without causing your hand to bleed, there's a serious problem."

"Liz, you'll be okay."

"Don't worry, Peter. I know who I can trust."

"Harry."

"No, not Harry. Ned."

"Why not Harry?"

"I can trust Ned. Harry would never understand. I have to go." She left.

Mary Jane looked at Peter. "Thank you for coming to the show tonight."

"It's okay. What are friends for?"

"I'm surprised that you came."

"Why?"

"Usually, you turn it into a social night with your friends or something. Also, you never have the time."

"Oh."

"I just love the script that the play has. The characters are so developed, it's not predictable, and it has a surprise ending. What did you think about the play?"

"What play?"

"Peter, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Peter, something's bothering you. Your thoughts are mixed up."

"Okay, here it is. It's Liz. A while ago, she told me about a condition that her mother had. Her mother couldn't touch anyone. If she did, they would bleed. Today, Liz handed me the newspaper, and I bled. She's worried that she has the same condition."

"Someone is with her right, for the emotional support?"

"I would've been there, but I'm busy."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"MJ, you don't know how complicated my life is."

"You're right. I don't. Is Harry with Liz?"

"She didn't want him to know. She said that he would never understand."

"Well, who is she with?"

"Ned Leeds."

"Ned! Peter, you're kidding me! They hate each other!"

"She said that she could trust him."

"I guess her decision is up to her. I feel sorry for Harry."

"Harry? Why Harry?"

"Peter, Liz is obviously in love with Ned."

"She told me that she is. I'm skeptical. I think that it's just wedding jitters."

"Peter, if you had a major problem, would you go to Gwen, or me?"

"Gwen, of course."

"My point."

"Hold on, my cell phone is ringing. It's Liz. Liz, how are you doing?"

"Peter, I'm at Secret Hospital. I'm going to get cured once and for all."

"What?"

"Ned is here with me. Both of us decided that it would be the best thing."

"Liz, are you sure?"

"Peter, I want a social life. Plus, any maniac you or I run into will try to take this ability. I have to do this. I want to do this. You're not talking me out of this."

"Can I talk to Ned?"

"Sure. He's right here."

"Hi, Peter. This is Ned."

"First off, I want to thank you for taking care of Liz. Now, do you think that this is a safe choice?"

"Peter, it needs to be taken care of. Liz wants this. I want this. She wouldn't have to forego a social life just because of some dumb ability. It will only help her."

"Ned, thank you. You really proved me wrong. I always thought that you were the office snob…"

"Don't worry about it, Peter. Everybody thinks that at first. That's the impression that I want to give off."

"Why?"

"If I give that impression off, nobody double crosses me. I'll talk to you later, Peter." Ned hung up.

"Ned Leeds with a soul. Can you imagine?"

"I'm shocked myself, MJ."

The next day, Liz walked into _The Daily Bugle_ office. "Mr. Jameson, I'm here."

"You're not going to plead for your job back. The answer is no."

"Mr. Jameson, _The Daily Bugle_ has power. We don't have to succumb to this green goblin maniac, or whatever. I'm confident that _The Daily Bugle_ will get past this and prosper."

"Liz, have you seen the property damage bills? You're too expensive for me to re-hire you."

"Mr. Jameson, you're letting the maniacs of the city win. _The Daily Bugle_ deserves better than that. I deserve better than this."

"Liz, I have no intention of letting the maniacs win. However, this was the first day that nothing out of the ordinary happened at _The Daily Bugle_. I can't pay the property damage bills. I won't re-hire you."

"Then, everybody is right. You are letting them win. I refuse to work for a boss like that." She left. Her phone started to ring. "Hi, Harry. What's up?"

"Liz, dad is going to give you a job at OsCorp. He won't take no for an answer. He's tired of you working the cheap-skate newspaper jobs. So, tomorrow, you'll start working at OsCorp."

"Harry…"

"Liz, you need the money."

"Thank you." She hung up the cell phone. She sighed.


	40. The New Girl

**Chapter Eighteen**

_The New Girl_

Liz looked at Harry. "Harry, is your father positive about this?"

"Liz, he wants you to be OsCorp's new secretary/treasurer. The price is right. You'll be earning higher wages, and you'll have a better boss."

"Don't be so sure of that, Harry. He is my future father-in-law."

"Cute, Liz. Okay, we're here."

Liz looked around. It was a big, flurried, financial mess. I miss _The Daily Bugle_, she thought to herself. However, when she saw Harry, she smiled at him for Harry's sake.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Miss Richardson, I'm so glad you're here."

"Norman, this is a terrific job opportunity…"

"Oh, Liz, I know that you're sad over getting fired at _The Daily Bugle_…"

"No, this is a new beginning. I must say, I've never seen numbers so large in my entire life."

"You can be grateful. Those numbers are going to finance the wedding."

"Norman, a simple wedding is fine. Harry wouldn't mind…"

"Liz, the press is excepting a big gala. We're not going to disappoint them."

"Well, I guess I should get to work."

Peter's phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, Peter. This is Ned Leeds from _The Daily Bugle_."

"I thought that I was just the photographer compared to the big city reporter…"

"Peter, I was wrong about you. Liz helped me realize that. Where is Liz? I thought that Jameson would change his mind…"

"He didn't change his mind. Thanks to Harry and Norman Osborn, she now has a job at OsCorp."

"She isn't going to turn into one of them, is she?"

Peter laughed. "No, she's not."

"Then, why is she working at OsCorp? Why would she want to work there?"

"Norman offered her a job."

"Why did she take it?"

"Harry's her fiancé."

"I know that, Peter. I just can't picture Liz working for a big corporation, that's all."

"I can't picture her being happy at a big corporation."

"Neither can I. Peter, I have to go." Ned hung up.

Peter went over to see Gwen at George's Point. "Peter, one of our oldest friends, Jason Sheldon, is coming to visit us."

"Oh, when is he coming?"

"Very soon, Peter. What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's Liz."

"She's not in trouble, is she? Please tell me that she hasn't gotten herself hurt…"

"No, she's working at OsCorp now. Jameson fired her. Norman offered her a job."

"Peter, I can't picture her being happy there…"

"She needs a job. She wants independence. Also, she doesn't want to be a gold digger. She doesn't want to be using the Osborn money for the rest of her life."

"Peter, she won't be happy at a big corporation. I know Liz. She won't be happy at OsCorp. It will only put a strain on their relationship."

"Gwen, she wants a job. She got fired at _The Daily Bugle_."

"That's because Jameson is a jerk. He only threatened to fire you how many times?"

"Normally, I'd agree with you. Jameson is a jerk. However, the terrorism of the office scared him. He actually regretted firing Liz."

"Peter, even if he wants to re-hire Liz, Norman won't let him. You know that, right?"

"Gwen, I know that. I just hope that Liz is happy."

"Peter, she won't be happy if Norman is her boss. Norman is okay as long as he's not bossing people around."

"I'll see you later, Gwen. Liz is on her lunch break now. I want to talk to her." Peter left.

Liz smiled at Peter. "Hi, Peter."

"So, how did your first day at the big corporation go? You didn't turn into one of them, did you?"

"No, I did not. Norman and Harry were really nice."

"That's nice of them. Honestly, Liz, how did it go?"

"Peter, I want my old job back. However, I have no choice. A maniac forced me out of the job I loved. Now, I'm stuck being a stiff necked businesswoman who rarely gets a break." Liz's phone rang. "It's Harry. He wants me back at the office. I'll see you later, Peter."

May listened to Peter. "Peter, I don't think that Liz is working at OsCorp is that terrible. I mean, she's working with Harry, and she loves him. I think it's nice for the family business."

"Aunt May, she doesn't love Harry. There's somebody else."

"Peter, Liz probably just has wedding jitters. Everybody gets them. If she was serious about the other guy, she would've broken up with him by now."

"She doesn't want to hurt Harry."

"Peter, if she really didn't want to hurt Harry, she would've broken up with him by now. She would've respected him enough to let him find somebody else. Liz still cares for him. She just has a small case of wedding jitters."

"I hope you're right."

"May Parker is always right."

Peter smiled. "I have to go, May."

Liz was getting ready to go home. She noticed _The Daily Bugle_ office. Jameson did tell me to clean out my stuff, she thought to herself. She walked up to her cubicle. She started to go through the articles. Great article, another great article… She remembered the laughs, the friendly faces, Jameson's ridiculous sayings… She smiled as she looked at a photo of her and Peter at _The Daily Bugle_ office. "You're still here. You couldn't say goodbye to this place, huh? The jerk newspaper boss, the weird photographer and that obnoxious new reporter…"

"Hi, Ned. I'm just cleaning out my stuff."

"Liz, Jameson never wanted to fire you."

"I know that, Ned."

"So, how is the most expensive wedding in history doing?"

"We're working on it."

"_The Daily Bugle_ just seemed to be something from a 40's movie. Lots of slapstick, the demanding boss, and the…"

"Girl Friday. I know, Ned. I know."

"Are you happy at OsCorp?"

"Did you ever feel like you're pretending to be somebody you're not?"

"All the time. My obnoxious personality is just an act. I pretend to be a jerk just so people take my personality for granted. Besides, you find out who your true friends are. They're the people who are willing to stick by you no matter how you're acting. You don't want fake friends."

"Ned, I feel like I'm trying to play this uptight business woman who only cares about money. The press expects that from the Osborn family. Norman thinks that working at _The Daily Bugle_ is below his standards. Sure, they bash OsCorp sometimes, but they're writing from all directions. Sometimes, I feel like he'd be willing to do anything to ruin my career here."

"He did. He offered you a job at OsCorp and you took it."

Liz looked uneasy. "There's something else. I don't know if I love Harry."

"How can you not know?"

"Harry's a great guy. However, it almost seems like I'm being forced to love him for some odd reason."

"Liz, I've seen a lot of things in my life. Nothing is odd."

"Ned, you're a rare person."

"Oh, so now it's insults."

"No. Harry won't talk about weird things. Peter's too busy. You're the only one that I really feel totally comfortable talking to."

"Liz, I never admitted anything about my personality to anybody else before."

"Ned…" They kissed. Unbeknownst to them, a little monitor on the desk was recording them. Norman frowned.


	41. Almost Fan

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Almost Fan_

Gwen and Peter were waiting for Jason to arrive. "I haven't seen Jason in forever."

"When was the last time he was here, Gwen?"

"I don't even remember. Oh, there he is!"

Jason walked over to them. He smiled at Peter. "Peter, it's been a long time. So, you're Spider-man's photographer? I think that he's doing a terrific job."

Gwen frowned. Peter looked at her. She was staring at Jason.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Gwen still stared at him. Finally, she spoke up. "Jason, you must be really tired. You had a long flight…"

"I'm okay, Gwen. So, Peter, when can I meet your friend?"

"Jason, Spider-man is really busy."

"Whenever he has the time, Peter, I'll meet him."

"Jason, be serious! Now, why would you want to meet Spider-man when a bunch of your old friends are waiting for you? Everybody is anxious to get reacquainted…"

"I'm sure everybody is, Gwen. I want to see everybody. However, I also want to see what New York is talking about."

"Jason, New York talks about everything."

"Yes, but they love to talk about one person. Peter, I wish I could be as lucky as you are."

"What do you mean?"

"At _The Daily Star_, there's nothing exciting to take pictures of."

"I'm sure you have a better boss than J.J.J. Jameson."

"Who?"

"A tyrant who runs the office."

"Anyway, you get to take pictures of a popular figure, and he'll let you. That's great. I want to meet him."

"I don't know. Since you're my competitor, you'll probably try to take rival pictures of him."

Jason looked at him. "C'mon, I was only kidding!"

Gwen looked at Jason uneasily. "Yes, you must be tired, Jason."

"Gwen, I'm fine! I want to take a tour of the city."

"Jason, I can't take you. I have to write an article for _The Daily Bugle_."

"Don't worry, Peter, I'm willing to take Jason on a tour of the city."

"Are you sure?"

"Go ahead; write your little article, we'll be fine."

"Thanks Gwen." Peter left.

"So, okay, why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry, Jameson."

"Jason."

"What?"

"You called me Jameson."

"I'm sorry, Jason."

"So, what's up?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Something's wrong, Gwen. Every time Peter talks about photographing Spider-man, you cringe. Wait a second, you're worried for his safety because if he's that close to the criminal action…"

"That's only part of it, Jason. It's a big part of it. I view Spider-man as _The Daily Bugle_ views him."

"So, you have very simple or very little faith in him."

"Jason, he killed George."

"What? George is dead? Oh, Gwen, I'm so sorry."

"You have been gone a long time."

"Gwen, you can't pretend act like you're Liz. What is this about George's death?"

"George had given me a building. I now use the building as a watch point for police. It is called George's Point. Anyway, George received a call that a maniac named Dr. Octopus…"

"Some things in this city sound like a cheesy science fiction movie."

"You can say that again. Anyway, George went to respond to the call. Spider-man had developed a special sort of web that he used on Dr. Octopus. Dr. Octopus lost control of his arms, and they started to knock off pieces of the building. There was a little boy. Pieces of rubble were headed toward the little boy. George went to save him…" She stopped. Her voice was shaky. "I watched the whole thing from a window at George's Point. George saved that boy. Spider-man was just trying to pick a fight with Dr. Octopus."

Jason was silent. He started to turn around. "Where are you going?"

"I need to find out why." He left Gwen standing there.

Gwen went over to see Peter. "Is Jason here?"

"No. I thought he was with you."

"He was. I told him what about what had happened to George, and he left. He wanted to find out why. He's going to get himself hurt."

"Gwen, if I could find another job, I would take it in a nanosecond."

"What do you mean, Peter?"

"Gwen, I know how much you hate me taking pictures of Spider-man for _The Daily Bugle_…"

"Peter, I understand that it's currently the only employment you can find right now. I'm just concerned for Jason. What if Spider-man hurts him? If he doesn't hurt him, what if a maniac that Spider-man is fighting with hurts him?"

"I'll see you later, Gwen." Peter went out the door.

"Peter! Peter!" Gwen watched him leave.

"Jason Sheldon died trying to find out the truth." Gwen looked at Peter.

"Peter, I can't believe this! Jason is the fifth person who died because of Spider-man."

"What about Rachelle?"

"What do you mean?"

"Gwen, like it or not, your father respected Spider-man. George tried to save Rachelle, but he couldn't."

"Peter, that's one person compared to four people."

"Gwen, nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes."

"Not like this."

"Gwen, Spider-man feels bad enough as it is."

"Peter, how would you know?"

"Trust me on this, Gwen. I've known the guy for a long time."

"Peter, please find another job."

"Gwen, the only employment I can currently find is taking pictures of Spider-man for _The Daily Bugle_."

"I'm afraid that you're getting too close to the action. Peter, your photos are great, but they could be potentially deadly for you."

"Gwen, I'll be okay."

"That's what everybody else thought before they died. I'm afraid that Spider-man is creating a false sense of security for everybody. This is the fifth death that he's been near."

"Gwen, he couldn't get there in time. He couldn't stop them from shooting Jason…"

"Peter, do you know he is? Would you tell me if you knew who he was?"

"Gwen, I don't know who he is. He's very mysterious. Gwen, what do you see for us in the future?"

"You're quitting _The Daily Bugle_ after you graduate from college. Don't worry, Peter, I was just joking. I know what the future holds for us. I know that we'll always be together. Peter, without you, the last few months would've been intolerable for me. I just want to thank you for being there for me. I'm sorry that I gave you such a rough time."

Peter hugged her. "I understand, Gwen."


	42. Broken Promises

**Chapter Twenty**

_Broken Promises_

Liz's ringing cell phone woke her up. "Hi, Harry."

"Today's the big day. I can't believe it."

"Neither can I. Well, I have to get ready. Bye, Harry." Liz frowned as she hung up. She changed into her wedding dress. The doorbell rang. Liz walked over to answer it. "Ned! Uh, today isn't the best day to see you…"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz slowly woke up. She noticed a note on her table.

Dear Liz,

A long time ago, you said that you felt like you were being forced to love Harry. So, I decided to take you to Secret Hospital to find out what was wrong. Apparently, the effects of the hypnotist who hypnotized you a long time ago weren't totally gone. You and Harry were being hypnotized to love each other. I attached the results. Please share them with Harry. Liz, when I said that I would always be there for you, I meant it.

Love,

Ned

Gwen went over to see Peter. "Peter, do you have the gifts for Liz and Harry ready?"

"Gwen, they're all ready."

"I wonder where Liz is. She's not answering her phone. I'm worried about Norman. He's been acting pretty weird today."

"Maybe he hasn't grasped the whole concept of I'm not losing a son, I'm gaining a daughter."

"Peter, I don't think Liz is happy with Harry. Why don't you stop the wedding? You're her best friend."

"You're in the same position."

"I just want her to be happy."

"I know what you mean."

Liz raced over to see Harry. "Harry! Harry! I need to talk to you! Where are you?" Her dress caught the end of a table. The table crashed into the mirror. Liz looked at it. "A secret hideout. So, what have the Osborns been hiding?"

Harry went over to Gwen. "Gwen, have you seen Liz?"

"Harry, she called me, and she's on her way."

"Thank you, Gwen." Harry left.

Gwen frowned. She didn't like lying, but the truth would've been too much for Harry to bear. Also, Gwen was almost positive that Liz would still show up. Trying not to drop the party favors she was carrying, Gwen dug for her cell phone. As soon as she heard Liz's voicemail, she hung up. She frowned.

Meanwhile, Liz was embarking on her own personal journey through the Osborn secret hideout. She tripped over something. Trying to regain her balance, she held on to a shelf. An alarm went off. Liz turned around to see what was on the shelf. "No, it can't be true… Norman can't be the… Green Goblin!" She started to run toward the exit. Suddenly, the doors closed. Liz whisked out her cell phone to call Ned.

Gwen was trying to make the Richardsons feel at home as much as she possibly could. "Oh, Mr. Richardson, Liz was right! You and Mrs. Richardson are perfect together."

"Thank you. Ever since my son married, I had more time to date. I never thought that I could love again until I found Diane."

"Oh, it's so great that you found each other!"

"Gwen, as much as I like being around you, it's my daughter's wedding day, so I want to see her."

"Mr. Richardson, Liz hasn't arrived yet."

"Leave it to my daughter to be late for her own wedding day."

Gwen saw Jeff and Annie, Liz's brother and sister-in-law. "Wow, I haven't seen both of you in forever! Where's Anna?"

"Oh, we thought that Anna wouldn't be able to tolerate a full-length wedding. We left her home with Annie's mother. It's incredible. Anna is our daughter, and she's a blonde, and both of us are brunettes. So, where is Liz?"

"Liz isn't here yet."

"Leave it to my sister to forget the date of her own wedding. I'm just kidding. She'll be here, I'm sure of it."

Ned started to help Liz. "Liz, don't worry, there's an opening on the other side. I'm going to help you out of here."

"I just can't believe it. Norman! I trusted him. Now, it all makes sense. The weird Thanksgiving toast, having less time for Harry, how all of his competitors ended up dead… what if he tries to go after us? What if he tries to go after one of my friends?" Liz's eyes watered.

"Liz, trust me. The Green Goblin would understand a no-show more than he would understand a speech explaining the situation to everybody who came for your wedding. The no-show option is less dangerous."

"Ned, I love you. This time, it's not due to a hypnotist. That never felt real."

"I love you too, Liz." They hugged.

Gwen stood. She was waiting, watching, and hoping for any sign of Liz. Harry was waiting anxiously. Gwen looked at Harry. She clutched her bouquet for dear life.

Liz and Ned went over to Ned's car. "Liz, I'm so sorry that you have to leave everybody. Peter, Gwen…"

"Ned, it's better than risking their lives. I don't want to go. I have to go."

The bridal theme started to play. Gwen looked out for Liz. Peter started to have a sense of danger. He slipped out through the back. He looked at Gwen worriedly. Gwen looked at him. Peter left. Gwen grabbed the microphone that was meant to be for Liz and Harry when they read their vows. "Excuse me, everyone. Everyone looks great in the audience. I want to thank everyone for coming." She glanced at the Richardsons. They just looked so happy. They honestly did believe that Liz was late. "However, on behalf of my friend Liz Richardson, the Richardson-Osborn wedding is cancelled for today. Please enjoy the rest of your day. Thank you." Gwen felt awkward. A couple of members of the crowd gasped, and others looked confused. Gwen walked towards Harry. "Harry, I'm so sorry."

"Gwen, don't start. Please don't start." Harry walked away from her. Norman started to walk up to the microphone.

"I need to see all of the Richardsons and Miss Stacy up here, please. Thank you." All of the Richardsons and Gwen stood by Norman. He whispered to them. "There's been a security threat against all of you. I'm going to escort all of you to a safe house. There, nobody will get at you."

"Mr. Osborn, we'll be fine. I just need to get to George's Point."

"Gwen, this isn't an option." Norman frowned.

The guests were starting to go out of the chapel. Norman, the Richardsons, and Gwen sat in a limousine. "All of you will be fine here. I promise you that." Gwen looked at him. She was still angry at him for not letting her go to George's Point. Finally, they got to the place. Norman escorted all of them inside. "Until the security threat is over, consider this to be your new home." Gwen frowned at him. "I promise you, Gwen. Everything will be fine here. This is the safest place to be." Norman turned around. He left the building. As he walked back to the limousine, he smiled to himself.


	43. The Search

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_The Search_

A large, bright light woke Gwen up. After a few seconds, Gwen remembered where she was. However, her hands and legs were tied to a box. She looked over to see the remains of the safe house. Out of nowhere, Norman rushed over to her. "Gwen! Gwen! Are you okay?"

She glanced at him. "Norman? What happened?"

"Gwen, the safe house exploded. The Richardsons were in the house when it exploded."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Please, not the Richardsons."

"I'm so sorry, Gwen. I'm going to take you back to the mansion. You're safer there."

Gwen stood up. "Norman, that's what you said about this place. What makes you think that I'm going to trust your judgment? I want to go to George's Point."

"Gwen, George's Point isn't safe. The mansion is. You're coming with me, whether you want to or not."

Peter, as Spider-man, swung over to where Ned was standing. Ned was holding a woman. "Ned Leeds, who are you holding?"

Ned looked up. "Spider-man, I can't protect you right now. I have other priorities. Besides, why are you butting in on my romantic life? Don't you have your own romantic life?"

"Ned, this is not the time to be a cute jerk. Liz Allan Richardson is missing. You work with her. I was wondering if she ran off with you…"

"Liz and I, together? Look, Spidey, I wasn't serious about her. Now, I'm with Betty Brant, the new office secretary for _The Daily Bugle_. Both of us are fine by the way, so please don't bother us."

"I'm disappointed in you, Ned."

"All of us can't be boy scouts, like you, Spidey."

Peter shook his head before he swung away.

Gwen walked up to see Harry. "Hi, Harry. How are you holding up?"

"Gwen, how do you think I'm holding up? If Peter dumped you on your wedding day, how would you react?"

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Gwen, just leave me alone, please. In all honesty, it kind of felt like I was forced to love her." Harry dropped another wedding announcement in the fireplace. "Gwen, there is something that you can do for me."

"What is that?"

"Shred these."

"What are these things?"

"Wedding invitations."

"I'm sorry."

"I am, too."

Ned was anxiously waiting at Secret Hospital. He saw Dr. Connors coming towards him. "Did you erase her memories of her family? I didn't want Liz to torture herself, and I didn't want her to be sad. She was depressed when Spider-man passed by her. I had to convince Spider-man that she was somebody else."

"Mr. Leeds, when a bride goes missing on her wedding day, people notice."

"Is she ready? We really have to be going, soon."

"Where are you going, Leeds?"

"I don't even know myself. Away from here."

"Why are you desperate to leave?"

"Somebody knows way too much information about somebody else."

Dr. Connors nodded. "Have a safe trip."

"We'll try to."

"You can see her now."

Ned walked into Liz's room. Liz sat up. She looked at him. "Ned, I'm ready to leave."

Gwen stormed into Norman's office at his mansion. "Gwen, what a nice surprise!" She closed the doors behind her.

"I wish it was going to be a nice surprise. How dare you!"

"How dare I what?"

"You didn't trust me! You said that we would be safe at the safe house! I said that I would take everybody to George's Point! You insisted on the safe house! Then, the house blows up, and the Richardsons are dead! How dare you!"

"Listen, Gwen, you might think that you're an expert on public safety because your dad was police captain, but you don't know anything about keeping yourself safe, let alone a group of people! My son's wedding was cancelled. I need to be there for my son."

"Norman, you're in your office. You're not with Harry. Harry needs you, more than you will ever know. You're in the office, being typical Norman Osborn. You're always putting your business over the feelings of other people."

"Gwen, you're an overly sensitive, stupid girl. One day, you'll realize that there's more to life than just your friends."

"Norman, for all these years, I was trying to tell myself that the press was wrong. That Norman Osborn cared about people, and he wasn't this selfish tycoon. Congratulations, Norman, you have proved me wrong!"

"Gwen, get out!"

Gwen looked at him for a couple of seconds before leaving. Norman stared angrily at her.

Gwen went up to George's Point. To her surprise, Peter was there. "Peter! What are you doing here? Never mind, I'm just grateful that somebody was at George's Point while I was away…"

"Gwen, I can't find her."

"What about Ned?"

"He was with another woman."

"Why doesn't that surprise me about Ned Leeds, the fake, superficial playboy who has no emotions at all?"

"Ned once told me that it was a façade he put on."

"And you believed him? Now, I've heard everything."

"Gwen, the Green Goblin targets those who hurt OsCorp. Liz hasn't hurt OsCorp, but she's hurt the Osborns."

"Peter, are you sure she's not on the radar?"

"I'm positive, Gwen."

"Peter, what if we don't find her?"

"We'll try, Gwen. We'll try. I promise."

"Peter…"

"Yes?"

"Promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise me that this will never happen to us."

"I promise, Gwen." The computer beeped. "Hold on, I have an e-mail with an attached video…"

Peter opened up the e-mail. The video played. In the video, Liz was at a nondescript location. "Hi, Peter and Gwen, I need you to know that I'm leaving. I'm doing this to protect you. Like Peter said, the Green Goblin targets those who hurt the Osborns. I accidentally hurt Harry. Peter, do you remember when that hypnotist came? He hypnotized Harry and me so that we'd love each other. I can't tell Harry because it's not safe. Peter, please do me a favor. Please limit your contact with Norman. It's for your own good. I have to go. Goodbye, I'll miss both of you." The tape stopped.

Gwen looked at Peter. "Why did she want you to limit your contact with Norman? Probably because he's so upset, right?"

"Right." However, Peter still looked worried.

Norman went up the stairs to see Harry. "Harry, how are you?"

"I'm okay. I just want to be alone."

"Harry, I promise you, I'm here for you now. I know I wasn't in the past, however, I'm here for you now."

"You're busy. It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is. Harry, I promise you, whoever has caused you pain will be rewarded appropriately. I want to be there for you. I want to protect you."

"Thanks dad." They hugged.


	44. Mixed Emotions

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Mixed Emotions_

Mary Jane looked at herself in the mirror. "Wow, it's hard to believe that I'm getting married today."

"You don't sound too happy about it."

Mary Jane turned to face her female theatrical director. "This wasn't my choice."

"You're right. It was my choice. Mary Jane, you look terrific in the white, double off-the-shoulder dress, but this was my choice. You certainly looked better than Liz Richardson in that srapless, belted dress…"

"That wasn't even her choice. It was Norman's choice. She hated that dress."

"Leave it to Norman Osborn to be wedding planner for his son's wedding." They laughed. "Look, Mary Jane, John is getting the asylum he wanted, and you're getting the bigger paycheck that you wanted. We made a deal, and ticket sales were great because people wanted to see John Jameson, the astronaut. Then, they would come back with their friends. However, that period of time is over. You and John both deserve your own freedom." She looked at the bouquet that Mary Jane was holding. "Make your decision before you toss that bouquet."

Mary Jane just stared at the mirror.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Gwen looked at Peter. "Peter, this must be important. You usually never come over to George's Point without calling first…"

"Gwen, I've been doing a lot of thinking…"

"Okay, thinking is good."

"This is a different kind of thinking."

Mary Jane calmly walked down the aisle towards John. She looked at him. "I'm not going to let us make a big mistake. You don't love me. I don't love you. We only did this for the money." She turned to the crowd. "Everyone, the wedding was called off. We decided not to go through with it." She turned to John. "Do you see how painless that was?"

"Not so painless. Dad's going to think that I'm insane because I want to run an asylum to protect the innocent people from the insane people. He wants me to be an astronaut. I'm going to leave for one year to try to settle some loose ends."

"John, there's an exit in the back."

"Thank you."

"Good luck."

"You too."

Mary Jane thought for a second before heading out of the chapel doors. She went over to the condo that was shared by Harry and Peter. "Peter!"

"Wow, Miss MIA is paying me a visit! What's the occasion?" He looked at her dress. "You're a little overdressed for the occasion."

Mary Jane just smiled at him. "We called it off. It was just a publicity stunt. John wanted to run an asylum…"

"John Jameson wants to stop being an astronaut? Oh, J.J.J. is going to have a problem with that…"

"I know. John got the money for the asylum, and I got higher wages as an actress because we went along with this engagement thing."

"That's great for you, Mary Jane, but why are you here?"

"I'm here because, Peter, I…"

"Mary Jane, I have something to tell you myself. Gwen and I got engaged!"

"What?"

"No congratulations?"

Mary Jane's face straightened up. She looked at Peter. "Of course, congratulations!" She bit her lower lip. "Oh, Peter, I'm going to miss my flight! I have a really important acting job that I cannot miss!" She left in a hurry.

"Remember to change first," Peter yelled after her.

Gwen looked at Peter. "I can't believe it! We're finally engaged! I'm so happy!" She started to look sad.

"What's wrong?"

"I wish that Liz was here to see this."

"She'll be happy when she gets back. This thing can't last forever."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right."

The doorbell rang. Peter went up to answer it. "Oh, hi, Aunt May. I'm sorry if you couldn't reach us. The phone line has been really busy. We've been calling everybody we know…" He looked at her. "Tears of joy, I take it?"

She looked at him. "Peter, didn't you hear?"

"Didn't I hear what?"

"Mary Jane is dead. Turn on the TV. It's all over the news."

Peter went over to the TV. He turned it on. "In entertainment news, actress Mary Jane Watson has passed away. The actress abruptly cancelled her wedding earlier on today. Before boarding a plane, the actress was abducted and murdered by a deranged fan. The fan was reportedly angry because of a soap opera that the actress works on. The fan liked the way Patricia Whitman played the part of Debra Vale. However, when Patricia didn't renew her contract, she was replaced with Mary Jane Watson. The deranged fan reportedly hated the way that Miss Watson played the part. Police are currently searching for the deranged fan. If you know anything, please call our station."

Everybody looked at the TV without saying anything. Peter was quiet. "I'll see you later, May and Gwen."

"Peter, please stay here," said May.

"I know that Mary Jane's not dead. The fan's probably holding her hostage, just to convince people that she's dead."

"Peter, she's dead," said Gwen. "I know how difficult it is to accept it."

"I'll see you later, Aunt May and Gwen." Peter left George's Point.

Gwen grinned at May through her tears. "That's one thing I love about Peter. He's always putting others before himself. He's trying to find her, but he won't. I feel sorry for him. He's obviously in a state of denial."

"I know he is. Oh, Peter. He always tries so hard, and fate usually gets in his way."

"I know. He's like George. He's always trying to protect the public." Gwen thought about what she said after she said it. _George died trying to protect the public…_

"I know. What a tragedy for Mary Jane. Also, to die on the day she cancelled her wedding…"

Gwen thought about this. _Liz and Harry, Mary Jane and John… they're targeting engaged couples!_ She looked at May. "May, I have to go."

"Gwen, where are you going?"

"I need to break off the engagement. They're targeting engaged couples. Liz and Harry, Mary Jane and John… I'm going to break off the engagement. It's for both of us, Aunt May." Her eyes started to water. "I'm so sorry." She left May standing by herself.


	45. Unmasked

**Chapter One**

_Unmasked_

Peter was swinging through the city. _Great,_ he thought to himself. _On the same day that I propose to Gwen, Mary Jane goes missing. Just great._ He sighed. Liz was gone, he needed to be with Gwen and Mary Jane was nowhere to be found. Today was going to be a long day.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Mary Jane was slowly waking up. Where am I, she thought to herself. She looked around. Why am I at an abandoned warehouse? The last thing I remember is Peter and Gwen… "Why did you have to replace Patricia?"

"Patricia?"

"Patricia Whitman. The real Debra Vale."

"Okay, I heard of number one fans before, but this is just ridiculous."

"Patricia Whitman showed emotion. You never did. Why did they hire you?"

"That's simple. Patricia didn't want the job anymore. Look, I've had a really lousy day. I just made a fool out of myself."

"You do that every day."

"Thank you for your sarcasm. Although, Peter won't even know that I made a fool out of myself. I guess that's why I became an actress."

"You won't have to worry about other people not knowing what you feel anymore, Miss Watson."

"Look, I thought that Patricia Whitman made Debra Vale an emotional wimp. I can choose how to interpret my own characters, thank you very much."

The fan stopped. Suddenly, he turned around. He grabbed something from a nearby table. "Here." He put it around her. "It's a special kind of necklace."

"Look, I'm not going to accept any jewelry from fans. Especially you. In fact, this necklace is probably deadly."

"The ring at the end of the necklace is a ring of true emotions."

"You're insane."

"Just tell me something. Why did you have a lousy day?"

"I love him. Gwen doesn't even understand him. Yet, he's marrying her." Mary Jane stopped. She started to step backward. "That…that… it just came out. I couldn't hide it. I tried, but I couldn't. You… what… what… did you do? I can't… I can't… take this necklace off." After a few more attempts to take off the necklace, she stopped. She stepped totally away from him.

"I saved you from your own fakeness." He came towards her with a sedative. "I'm sure that crazy web guy is looking for you now."

She attempted to push him. Before she was able to push him, he pushed her first. Once she fell, he sedated her. He walked away from her.

Gwen walked into George's Point. "May, you're still here."

"Gwen, I have to talk to you. You're going to make the biggest mistake. Don't break up with Peter."

"May, they're targeting engaged couples. I know they are."

"Gwen, happiness and tragedy always happen whether you're engaged or you're single. Ben lost his brother when we were married. It's nice to have someone with you when you have to endure tragedies. You and Peter are perfect for each other. I know that. Besides, you are letting them win if you break up with him."

Gwen shook her head. "No, May, I'm letting them win if I _don't_ break up with him." She left.

As Peter was trying to find Mary Jane, he noticed a screaming woman on the sidewalk. He swung down. The woman looked at him. "You! You're the reason for our misery!"

"Who are you?"

"Betty Brant."

"Oh, that woman that Ned Leeds was with. Look, I hate to interrupt this newspaper charade, but…"

She launched for him. "Find Miss Watson before we lose her. I know she's not dead."

"Newspaper writers have become ridiculous these days. Anything for publicity." He swung away. As he swung away, Betty looked at him. She turned to Ned. "I've missed so much."

Peter swung a web through one of the warehouse's windows. The noise woke Mary Jane up. She turned around to see Peter sedate the deranged fan. Then, Peter went over to her. She breathed out. "Thank you." Her eyes gleamed up at him.

"The deranged fan won't be a problem anymore." She smiled at him. "I'm going to take you home. My fiancée is waiting for me. She'll probably yell at me when I get home." He expected Mary Jane to laugh. Instead, she looked up at him longingly. "You'll be okay. Let's go."

After bringing Mary Jane to her apartment, Peter went over to George's Point. Gwen opened the door. "Peter, you're safe! I've been so worried about you!"

"Gwen, Mary Jane is safe. Liz hasn't been found yet."

"Oh, I'm so glad the police were able to save Mary Jane!" Gwen noticed Peter's awkward facial expression. "The police didn't save her, did they?"

"Gwen, Spider-man…"

"Spider-man…" She looked down. "I assume that he has to do a couple of acts of public service to compensate for being responsible for George Stacy's murder."

"Gwen." Peter sighed. "I'll stop photographing him for _The Daily Bugle_ as soon as the wedding is over. I need the extra money for the wedding."

"Wedding?" Gwen looked confused. "Oh, May wasn't able to tell you. Peter…" She started to turn away. "Peter, you were always my only true love, but it isn't safe."

"What isn't safe?"

"Peter, they're targeting engaged couples. First, it was Liz and Harry. Then, it was Mary Jane and John."

"Gwen, first off, Mary Jane's wedding was a publicity stunt. Leave it to Mary Jane to have a wedding that was just a publicity stunt. Second, Liz and Harry were a couple, however, I'm convinced that their engagement was just for the convenience. You once told me that they didn't seem to love each other that much."

"With Liz and Harry, it seemed like both of them were under an illusion."

"Gwen, that's exactly my point." He sat down. "Tell me, Gwen, what's different with us."

"We actually love each other."

"Gwen, if we break up we're letting them win."

Gwen turned around. They kissed and hugged.

"Peter, do you know what's funny?"

"What?"

"That's exactly what Aunt May said."


	46. Familiar Face, Different Personality

**Chapter Two**

_Familiar Face, Different Personality_

Peter went over to Aunt May's house. May greeted him with enthusiasm. "Peter, I'm so happy to see you. Is everything okay?"

"Mary Jane has been found. However, Liz hasn't been found."

"Liz will come home eventually, Peter. I know she will. So, how is Gwen?"

"She's definitely better than she was. Be prepared to mark a wedding date on your calendar."

May hugged Peter. "Peter, I knew that it would work out for you two. You were meant to be together."

"You know, Aunt May, everything is finally starting to get…" The ring of May's phone interrupted him. "Better. I'll answer that."

Peter walked over to the phone. "Hello? Norman… slow down… we'll be right over." Peter hung up. "Aunt May, we have to head over to Norman's house. We'll pick up Gwen and Mary Jane on the way."

"Peter, what's wrong?"

"Harry got into street drugs and he's not doing well. I have to be there to support him." Peter paused. "The only thing is I don't know who needs more support at this point: Harry or Norman."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Everyone was silent while walking up to the Osborn door. Peter didn't know what to do or what he should say. He felt like he was in a nightmare. However, every time, he tried to wake up, he couldn't. "Pete, you know that I'm not the best with my emotions." Peter turned around to see Mary Jane. Finally, there was an opportunity for some comedic relief.

"Tell me about it."

"Very funny. What exactly do you say in a situation like this?"

Peter sighed. "Mary Jane, I don't even know what to say anymore."

Cautiously, Peter knocked on the door. A weary-looking Norman answered. "Oh, Peter, it's you. Thank you so much for coming. Harry and I need a lot of support right now." Norman leaned forward to hug Peter, but he stopped suddenly. "Please tell me that Miss Richardson isn't with you. She's the last person who Harry needs to see right now."

Peter frowned. Sure, Norman was going through a lot right now, but he didn't need to insult his best friend. Surely, Liz would have an explanation for all of this if she were here. "No, Liz is not with us. She hasn't even been found yet."

Norman hugged Peter. "Peter, you were always like a second son to me. For Harry, you were a second brother to him. Thank you so much for coming." Norman looked at Gwen, Aunt May and Mary Jane. "You two have always been close family friends. Thank you for coming."

Norman lead Peter, Gwen, Aunt May and Mary Jane up the stairs to see Harry. As Norman slowly opened the door, he turned to them. "Harry's resting now. Please try to control your voices." He led them into the room. Peter grimaced. His best friend looked like a death bed nursing home patient. He missed the healthy, vibrant Harry who he used to hang out with. Now, Harry was white as a sheet.

Norman sat down at his son's side. Peter looked at Norman. He had never seen the friendly, straight-laced businessman look more serious in his life. Come to think of it, this was also the first time Peter saw Norman with Harry when Norman wasn't trying to juggle a telephone conversation while talking to his son. Sure, Norman had tried to be a good dad, but he couldn't let his successful business dwindle for some quality time. Peter's thought process was interrupted by the door bell. Norman barely seemed to notice. "Someone's at the door."

Peter got up. "I'll get it." Peter was grateful for the opportunity to leave the room. He couldn't stand looking at Harry in Harry's current state. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Ned Leeds. "Hey, boy scout, could you let me into Daddy Warbuck's estate?"

Peter frowned. "Leeds, what are you doing here?"

"It's the usual Jameson schedule, Peter. You should be used to that. Jameson is curious about the lives of the rich and the famous. More specifically, the scandals of the rich and the famous."

"Leeds, this really isn't a good time."

"Peter, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Leeds."

Ned saw Mary Jane coming down the stairs. "Mary Jane, what's wrong?"

"Harry is in bad health because of his drug problem." She grimaced because of the necklace's effect on her conversation.

Peter glared at Mary Jane. He couldn't believe her betrayal. "Mary Jane, whaaa…?" He automatically turned back to Ned. "Listen, Leeds, if this gets out…"

"Peter, I'm so sorry about this. I had no idea what was happening. I never would've interrupted their private family time. You have to believe me!"

"Why should I? You'll use this opportunity as a way to get a raise from Jameson!"

"Peter, it's okay." Peter was shocked to see Norman coming down the stairs.

"Norman, he's from the press."

"Peter, it's okay. He's one of the nicest people from the press I've ever met." He looked at Ned. "Come on, Ned, I'll show you into the family den."

Peter watched in shock as Ned passed by him. Finally, he turned to Mary Jane. Mary Jane looked at him. She was prepared to get yelled at, but what Peter actually said shocked her. "Mary Jane, that was brilliant. You managed to crack Ned Leed's reporter shell. He must have your personality."

"What do you mean?"

"If I say something, do you promise to take it with no offense?"

"It depends."

"When I first met you and Ned, I thought that both of you were incapable of having empathy. Now, both of you have proved to me that you do have empathy."

"Peter, there's more…" Mary Jane looked up to see Gwen and Aunt May coming down the stairs.

"What, Mary Jane?"

"It can wait."

Gwen looked at Peter. "Peter, where did Norman go?"

"I'm coming, Gwen." Everyone turned around to see Norman and Ned coming out of the den. Norman turned to Ned. "I hope that I'll see you again, Leeds."

"You will, Norman. You will." Ned Left. Everyone turned around to look at Norman.

"What was that about?"

"Ned's going to tell Jameson that nothing special is happening with the Osborn family. You know, that was the best conversation I've had with someone since all of this happened to Harry. He understood and he made me feel better about everything. Peter, you may have competition for that surrogate son role." He looked at Peter unsurely.


	47. Stranger Danger

**Chapter Three**

_Stranger Danger_

Peter was completing his night check through the city as Spider-man. He sighed. Harry wasn't getting any better. Peter would have more time to spend with Harry and other people for that matter if Spider-man and Gwen were on good terms. He could've used George's Point as a constant city check. That would've saved him a lot of time and energy.

He felt something grab him. He and his potential kidnapper spiraled down towards earth. Peter swung a web towards a roof. Peter landed safely, but his potential kidnapper crash landed. Once Peter came to, he could figure out who the figure was. It was the Goblin. The Goblin got up slowly. He looked at Peter. "Who are you?"

Peter was shocked at first. "What?" He was preparing for the Goblin to attack him. "You're pretending."

"Who are you and how did I get here?" The Goblin stared at Peter before he ran off.

_He has to be pretending_, Peter thought to himself. _Isn't he?_

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

By the next morning, Peter was almost totally convinced that the Goblin was pretending to have memory problems. The Goblin was going to use it as a trick to get Spider-man to try to help him. Then, he was going to attack him. It made all of the sense in the world. Satisfied with that explanation, Peter continued to walk into _The Daily Bugle_ with a tray full of frozen coffees. He stopped suddenly when another thought struck him. What if the Goblin _wasn't_ pretending? "Hey!" A woman's voice made Peter realize that he had just spilled all of the coffees on her.

"I'm so sorry about that… Miss… Miss…"

"Brant." She started to slowly regain her composure. "Betty Brant. I'm a new worker for Jameson's circus here."

"I'm Peter Parker and I've been working for Jameson's circus a long time."

Betty scoffed. "Well, lucky for you, Parker, I have an extra outfit in my cubicle." She walked right past Peter before he could get another word in edgewise. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by Jameson.

"Parker, get to work!"

"Yes, Mr. Jameson."

At the end of the day, Gwen was waiting for Peter by _The Daily Bugle_ office. Peter was relieved to see her. "Gwen, you wouldn't believe the day I had. I brought frozen coffees to the office…"

"Peter, it should've been a good day. You did everybody a big favor."

"You didn't let me finish. I accidentally spilled all of the coffees on my new female coworker who has striking similarities to the ice queen."

Gwen smiled. "Do you know what Liz would've said in this situation?"

Peter stopped. "What?"

"Well, I guess your new coworker doesn't enjoy mocha lattes _that_ much."

Peter smiled. However, he quickly stopped smiling. Gwen noticed his concern. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about how much I miss Liz."

Gwen touched Peter's arm. "We will find her, Peter. I promise you that."

Peter looked frustrated. "How, Gwen? She's been gone for so long."

Gwen looked at Peter reassuringly. "Liz will find her way back home." They continued to walk. "Peter, I have something to tell you and it's not going to be easy."

"Gwen, please tell me it's not about our upcoming wedding."

Gwen laughed. "Peter, it's not about that at all. I love you, you know that." She paused. "Peter, we have to go over to the Osborn house tonight."

Peter stopped. "Please tell me that Harry isn't doing worse."

"Actually, Harry's doing better." Gwen paused. "Peter, I got a call from the Osborn butler. He told me that Norman is very confused. Norman remembers book facts, yet he can't recall any personal facts."

"Gwen, we'll definitely go over, but first we need to find a photo album that doesn't have Liz in it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dr. Connors told me once that to bring back a memory, many different techniques can be used. Smells, tastes, pictures, almost anything associated with a particular event can bring back a memory. However, it's for the best that Norman doesn't remember Liz. Liz doesn't need his anger against her. Norman doesn't need that anger, either." He paused. "After all, a picture is worth a thousand words."

After going over to Aunt May's house to get a photo album, they brought May and the photo album over to the Osborn residence. This time around, Harry was relieved to see them. "Gwen, May, Peter, I'm so grateful you're here!" Harry looked down. "Dad's not doing well. He barely remembers me."

"Where is he, Harry?" Peter was concerned.

"He's in the den, Peter."

All of them walked down to the den. When they entered the den, Norman looked at them with confusion. "Who are you?"

Harry stepped forward. "Dad, these are my friends. That's Gwen, that's Peter and that's May." Harry's voice started to crack. "Remember?"

"Oh, yes, that's right. You're my son." Norman looked at Peter. "Is Peter another one of my sons?"

"You always said that he was a surrogate son."

"Oh, okay." Norman smiled weakly at Peter.

"Uh, Norman…" Peter slowly raised the photo album up. "We have something to show you." Out of the corner of his eye, Peter noticed Harry's concerned look. "Better yet, we'll have Harry show you." He handed the photo album to Harry. Harry looked at him cautiously.

"What do you want me to do exactly?"

"Harry, just show him the pictures. Come upstairs when both of you are ready."

"Okay. I'll try anything at this point."

May, Gwen and Peter left the den. Gwen looked at Peter. "Do you think it will really work?"

"What do we have to lose?"

Aunt May spoke up. "I feel so sorry for Norman. First, he has Harry's problems and then this."

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Norman and Harry coming up from the den. For one of the first times in both of their lives, both of them looked content. Norman spoke first. "May, Gwen, Peter, thank you for coming!" He turned to Peter. "According to Harry, this was your brilliant idea. Thank you. Peter, you were able to save my memories." He turned around to face everybody. "For the first time in my life, I feel totally content. It feels like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. It's like I was able to let go of some heavy burden I was carrying."

Peter was cautious. "Are you sure you're not forgetting something important?"

Norman smiled. "I'm sure, Peter. Whatever it was, it was something negative that didn't need to be remembered."

_He must be talking about Liz_, Peter thought to himself. "Well, Norman, I'm glad to see that you recovered."

Norman smiled again. "There's more. Harry and I need some good old fashioned quality time. I'm not going to let things go back to the way they were." He paused. "So, Harry and I are going to London. Everybody needs a vacation every now and then, right? Besides, Gwen, your vacation to London did you a world of good. After George died, I know how difficult it was…"

"You're right, Norman. The London trip helped me straighten things out. That way, I could be a lot better for my friends…" She smiled at Peter. "And for Peter."

"When we get back, I'll get in touch with everybody again."

"Don't worry about a thing, Norman. Have a good time." Peter smiled at Norman.

"Thanks Peter. I will."

May, Gwen and Peter left the house. Gwen turned to Peter. "You know, Peter, I hate to say this, but a small case of amnesia was the best thing that ever happened to Norman Osborn."

"I agree, Gwen. I agree."


	48. Exclusive Interview

**Chapter Four**

_Exclusive Interview_

Gwen turned uncomfortably in her chair. It was the first interview she agreed to do about George's death since he died, and she was afraid that everything was going to come out wrong. However, her interviewer, Miss Brit Howard, seemed nice on the phone. Miss Howard didn't seem to be that intrusive, did she? In fact, Gwen had respected Howard for her amount of tact about the subject. "Hello, Gwen." Gwen was surprised to see Miss Howard so soon. "Miss Howard, you're early."

"Gwen, I wanted to talk to you a little bit before the interview. First off, there's no reason to be nervous."

"That's easy for you to say."

Miss Howard smiled. "Trust me, Gwen, there's no reason to be nervous. If this interview is too difficult for you at any time, just do a small hand movement and I'll shut off the cameras."

Gwen smiled. "Thank you for being so understanding, Miss Howard."

"You're welcome, Gwen. By the way, please call me Brit." Miss Howard looked at the camera. "Okay, we're on in three, two, one…" She smiled at the camera. "After the terrible tragedy of the death of honored police captain George Stacy, his grieving daughter Gwen had the strength to continue his legacy. Gwen is the president of George's Point, a place named after George Stacy that helps the police department. For the first time since her father's death, Gwen has agreed to speak with us in this exclusive interview. Gwen…" She turned to Gwen. "Gwen, who do you believe was responsible for George Stacy's death that terrible day?"

Gwen looked her straight in the eye. "Spider-man killed my father."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter walked into _The Daily Planet_ staff room cautiously. He knew that Betty Brant would be there, but it was the only room with a TV and he wanted to watch Gwen's interview. Betty looked up as he came in. "Oh, it's you. Please tell me that you don't have any coffee today."

"Nope, I don't have any coffee today. I came in to watch Gwen Stacy's interview. She's my fiancée."

"You and Gwen got engaged? Oh, Peter, that's wonderful!"

Peter stared at her for a moment. Betty retracted her statement. "I mean, uh, congratulations, Parker."

Peter's thought process was interrupted by the interview starting. He admired Gwen for the courage that was needed in order to conduct the interview. George's death was a difficult subject for her, and he knew what she was going through because he had gone through the same process after Ben died. The only difference was that George Stacy was a public figure, so Gwen received less mourning privacy than Peter did.

"Spider-man killed my father." That statement broke Peter's thoughts. Did he really hear that? He turned around to face Betty.

"Did she really say that?"

Betty looked horrified. "She did, Peter." Then, Betty started to feel awkward. "Uh, I have to go make some copies. Excuse me." Betty left. After Betty left, Peter focused on the interview. Miss Howard was leaning towards the camera.

"Could it be that _The Daily Bugle_ was right all along? Could New York's hero really be a public menace? Were all of Spider-man's heroic acts a trick to prove that he wasn't responsible for George Stacy's murder? Stay with us as we continue on this story."

Peter weakly turned off the TV. _What am I going to do now?_ That thought lingered in his mind while J.J.J. celebrated. "I knew I was right! I knew it! Parker! Parker! I'll give you a raise for pictures of that fugitive from justice!"

Brit Howard smiled at all of her fellow coworkers. They were all baffled about the interview. "How did you do it, Brit!? That Stacy girl is ratings gold."

"Don't worry; I am definitely conducting follow-up interviews with Miss Gwen Stacy. During our phone conversation, Gwen was very impressed with my sincerity."

One of her coworkers smiled. "You're one of the least sincere people I know."

"That doesn't mean that I can't act." She smiled back.

After work, Peter raced over to George's Point. Gwen looked at him. "Peter, I have something to tell you and it's not going to be easy."

"Gwen, I know about the interview. How could you do that to him?"

"Peter, you know he was there that day…"

"Gwen, he was trying to protect the city against a mad man."

Gwen scoffed. "He should've been protecting the city from himself."

Peter frowned. He knew that she could never understand. "Gwen, he wasn't just a way of making a living. He was a friend. He was a protector of the city." He looked at her. "Gwen, I have to go."

"Peter, don't leave like this! Peter, I love you! Peter!" Peter ignored her and he just kept walking.

Normally, he would've gone over to see Liz or Harry. However, since both of them were gone, he didn't know where to go. He couldn't go to Aunt May's because Gwen might go there. Then, it hit him. He could over to see Mary Jane. Mary Jane was surprised to see him. "Peter, what are you doing here?"

"MJ, I have to leave town."

"Why?"

"Didn't you see the interview?"

She sat down. "I did, but Spider-man's photographer doesn't need to leave." She looked at him. "Your friend Spider-man doesn't need to leave either."

Peter sat down. "MJ, he has to go. I have to go. They'll hunt him down and they'll hunt me down because I'm his photographer. I can't betray him like this."

"Peter, we can fight this. I know we can. We'll figure out a way to prove Howard and Jameson wrong."

"What about Gwen?"

Mary Jane frowned. "Peter, she needs to trust her fiancé over some newscaster."

Both of them looked at each other. For one of the first times in his life, Peter felt like he really trusted Mary Jane. He frowned again. "Both of us don't hold any power over the media."

"You forget who you're talking to. I'm an actress, remember?"

"That's the problem. Since you're an actress, people could easily say that you're acting like I'm a good guy."

"Peter, I'd never have to act like you're a good guy. I know you're a good guy."

"Mary Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Suddenly, Peter frowned. "Mary Jane, I have to go."

"Where are you going?"

"There's no time to explain." Peter could feel a sense of danger. Now as Spider-man, he swung around the city, trying to locate the danger. Noticing a burning building, he swung into a room that wasn't burning. He could hear someone crying. In the corner of the room, there was a small child. Peter carried the child to the nearest window. With the child in one arm, Peter used his other arm to swing down. A crowd of onlookers had formed. At this point, one of Howard's cameramen poked her.

"He's up there."

"Show time." As soon as Peter delivered the child to the child's parents, Howard approached him. "Spider-man, what were your feelings about George Stacy?"

Peter looked at her. "George Stacy was a great man who should be honored." After he said that, he swung away.


	49. Your Way

**Chapter Five**

_Your Way_

Peter was sitting at a desk. He was thinking about where he could go next. He barely knew where he was right now. He had just given up a life of Gwen, Aunt May, Mary Jane, Harry and possibly, one day, Liz. The only thing that was clear to him now was that he had to start over. "Don't go." Peter was startled to hear a voice. "It's okay, nobody else is with me." Peter turned around.

"Betty Brant?" She was the last person he expected to see. "Why are you here?"

"I came to convince you to come back." She looked at him. "Everybody misses you." She smiled. "I miss you."

"Betty, please leave. I don't want you to get wrapped up in this." He could hear another voice in the distance. "Who's with you?"

"You know, Parker, for a Boy Scout, you can do some pretty stupid things sometimes." Peter looked around.

"Ned Leeds?"

"You got it, Sherlock."

"Why?"

"Betty and I don't want you to leave. So, Peter, we're going to convince you to come back where you belong."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Mary Jane was appalled at what she saw on the TV. The only thing she could do now would be to go over to George's Point. Racing over to George's Point, she tried to control her thoughts. However, when she finally arrived, everything spilled out. "Gwen, how could you do that to Peter?" Gwen turned around slowly to face Mary Jane.

"Mary Jane, I did what I had to do."

Mary Jane scoffed. "You didn't have to. What did Spider-man ever do to you?"

Gwen frowned. "Mary Jane, I know that it's impossible for you to understand what I'm going through right now…"

"Gwen, he wasn't responsible for George's murder."

"Mary Jane, he was there! Doctor Octopus wasn't creating a scene until he showed up!"

"Spider-man was trying to protect the city from that mad man! Gwen, can't you see that?"

Gwen frowned again. "Mary Jane, the only reason why you can't understand what I'm going through is because your father never cared about you. Now, please leave!"

Mary Jane was hurt by Gwen's remarks. She had always been jealous of the bond between George and Gwen. However, it was not Gwen's place to rub that in. Still, George's death was difficult for Gwen to get through… Mary Jane thought about this as she left George's Point. There had to be a way to get Peter to return. There had to be…

Peter looked at Betty and Ned while he was trying to comprehend what they were saying. "I never thought that both of you would be the first people to come for me."

Ned shrugged. "So we have an outer shell. Once you crack that shell, you can discover our real personalities." Peter looked at Betty. Her instant personality change didn't make any sense. Even considering Ned's statement, something was still strange about Betty… Noticing the awkward moment, Ned decided to intercede. "So, Parker, have you changed your mind about coming back?"

Peter shook his head. "It's too dangerous. Speaking of that, both of you should go. I'll be okay."

Betty looked at him. "What about Spider-man?"

Peter shrugged. "What about him?"

"What's going to happen to him?"

Peter sighed. "I don't know, Betty."

Later that day, Gwen was preparing for an anti-Spider-man demonstration in New York. She noticed that Miss Howard was there. Gwen walked over to her. "Hi, listen, thank you so much for supporting me throughout all of this."

"Huh? Oh, hi, Gwen."

"I was thanking you for…" Gwen was interrupted by the ringing of Miss Howard's cell phone.

"Oh, Gwen, will you excuse me? It's a really important call. Anyway, good luck with the demonstration." Miss Howard hurried away. Gwen frowned. Brit was so nice beforehand, but now she was rather impersonal. Maybe I did make a mistake, Gwen thought to herself. However, her thoughts were interrupted by one of Miss Howard's cameramen.

"Uh, Miss Stacy, it's time."

Gwen walked up to the podium. Trying to avoid her confusing thoughts, she grabbed the microphone and began. "As you all know, George Stacy was one of the most respected men in the community. He was…" The sound of another microphone interrupted Gwen's speech. Gwen looked up to where the noise came from. She was surprised to see Mary Jane… on the roof. Mary Jane looked down at her.

"Oh, hi, Gwen." She turned her attention to Gwen's audience. "Before my good friend started her presentation, we agreed that I could promote my upcoming film."

Miss Howard looked at her cameramen. "What is she doing?"

"How should I know?"

"Gwen never mentioned this…"

Mary Jane continued. "As you all know, I was blessed to have the unique opportunity to work with upcoming director… Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" She screamed as she tripped off the roof. She swung her scarf over one of the statues on the building. Holding on to both ends of the scarf, she dangled from that point. A panicked Gwen looked up at her.

"Mary Jane, we're going to get you some help. I promise."

Mary Jane looked down at her. "Thank you, Gweeeeennn…" She screamed as her hands slipped off the scarf. She began to fall.

Miss Howard was looking at something else. She poked her cameraman. "What is that?"

Her cameramen looked at were like she was nuts. "Why in the world are you looking at something else?" Both of them looked at the blur. Miss Howard gasped.

"Wait a minute… that's… that's… Spider-man…"

Peter, as Spider-man, grabbed Mary Jane and he lowered her safely to the ground. She looked at him. "Thank you." Without a response, he took off. People started to gather around Miss Howard. Miss Howard laughed nervously.

"Publicity stunt, I'm sure."

"That man had the courage to come back into a city that wanted to arrest him. Nobody else could reach Miss Watson in time. That, Miss Howard, is a real hero."

The next day at work, Peter stayed late. He knew that Betty would be staying late and he wanted to talk to her when Ned wasn't around. Betty was surprised to see him. "Peter, you're staying after today? In that case, would you mind helping me with the files?"

Peter handed her the files. "I wanted to thank you for coming after me. I never should've left."

Betty turned her back to him to put the files into the filing cabinet. "You shouldn't have left. I really underestimated you when I first met you, Parker."

"Why did you leave, Liz?"

Betty turned around automatically to face him. "How did you know?"

Peter smiled. "It's simple. A new office worker never would've come after some Peter Parker guy. Also, the overreaction about the engagement was a big clue."

"You and Gwen are perfect for each other." She smiled at him.

"What about you and Harry?"

"That hypnotist hypnotized me into believing that I was in love with him."

"Why couldn't you tell him that to his face?"

"I… I… don't even remember now. It all seems so silly."

"You missed a lot. So, you and Ned…"

"Peter, I missed so much. With Ned and I, we're perfect for each other. This time, it's real."

"Liz, do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't run again."

Liz smiled. "I won't if you won't."


	50. The Memory Holder

**Chapter Six**

_The Memory Holder_

Peter was working at _The Daily Bugle_ office. Ned walked over to him. "So, Peter, how is Gwen doing?" Peter stopped typing. He looked up at him.

"We're doing great. Spider-man and Gwen, not so much. She's convinced that his little rescue of Mary Jane was just a publicity act to regain public favor."

"Wasn't it?"

"Cute, Leeds." The phone rang. Peter answered it. "Hello, _Daily Bugle_ office. Peter Parker speaking."

"Mr. Parker, this is Secret Hospital. Mr. Parker, we have a Miss Stacy here and a Miss Richardson here. Miss Stacy and Miss Richardson are currently being observed after a massive attack on both of their brains occurred. Could you please tell a Mr. Ned Leeds to come also?"

"We'll be right there." Peter hung up the phone. Ned noticed his worried facial expression.

"What's wrong, Peter?"

"Gwen and Liz are being treated at Secret Hospital. Somebody attacked their brains. We have to go."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

While going to Secret Hospital, the thoughts of both Ned and Peter were racing. Finally, Ned spoke up. "Peter, you've known Liz a lot longer than I have." Peter nodded.

"That's right. She was always my best friend."

Ned moved uncomfortably in his seat. "Then, could you tell me something?"

"What?"

"It makes sense for someone to want to get information out of Gwen. After all, she was the police captain's daughter. On top of that, she went on to work for something in George's honor that helped the police. However, why in the world would someone want to go after Liz Allan Richardson, reporter and girlfriend of Ned Leeds?"

"I don't know, Ned. I don't know." However, Peter actually did know. Someone probably figured out that both of them knew Spider-man in some capacity. However, they were about to be shocked. Liz Richardson would definitely know more personal information about Spider-man than Gwen Stacy would. Although he wouldn't have to worry about Gwen as much, he would have to worry about Liz more.

"Peter, we're here."

Peter sighed. "Okay, Ned, when we go in there, I want to introduce you to Dr. Connors. He'll be the most helpful with this bizarre situation and he's a really good friend of mine."

"So, basically, he's a Twilight Zone doctor."

"Well, kind of. You have to trust me, Ned; he's a really nice guy."

Ned and Peter walked up to the room where Gwen and Liz were. Gwen and Liz were delighted to see Ned and Peter. "Peter!" Gwen weakly smiled at Peter.

"Ned!" Like Gwen, Liz weakly smiled at Ned.

"Parker!" Peter turned his attention to Dr. Connors, who had just walked into the room. "Please let Gwen and Liz rest." Connors looked at Ned. "Who is he?"

"Um, Dr. Connors, this is my friend, Ned Leeds."

Dr. Connors looked at both of them. "May I talk to both of you privately, please? I don't want to disturb Liz or Gwen."

"Sure." Ned and Peter turned to Liz and Gwen. "We'll see you later." Ned, Peter and Dr. Connors left the room. Dr. Connors turned to them.

"How much do both of you know about this?"

"Basically nothing," Peter said. "We got a call from the hospital that Liz and Gwen's brains had been attacked. So, we definitely have a lot of questions. First off, are they going to be okay?"

"Peter, they're going to be just fine. They can even go home tonight."

"Why did they get attacked?"

Dr. Connors sighed. "I don't know, Peter. We sedated Liz and Gwen for most of the day. However, when they weren't sedated, they mentioned that when they were attacked, all they could think about was Spider-man. Whoever attacked them probably wanted to know information about Spider-man or which girl knew more about Spider-man."

"Who attacked them?"

"They don't know. However, both of them thought that they heard the last name of Warren mentioned."

Peter frowned. "They don't know anybody with the last name of Warren."

"They don't have to know him, Peter. At any rate, Liz's brain was attacked more than Gwen's brain." He looked at Peter. "Peter, you're Spider-man's photographer. Did he ever mention that a Liz or a Miss Richardson was his girlfriend?"

"Dr. Connnors, I'm just his photographer. We never discuss Spider-man's personal life. It's just professional courtesy." Peter noticed Ned's worried look. "However, Dr. Connors, I can guarantee that Liz is not his girlfriend. His girlfriend is somebody named…" Peter thought for a second. "Penny Foray. I don't know her personally, Dr. Connors. He's mentioned her from time to time."

"Peter, even with that in mind, still keep an eye on Liz and Gwen. They're in danger, Peter." Dr. Connors looked at his watch. "I have to check on my other patients." He looked at Ned and Peter. "Both of you be safe." Dr. Connors walked away.

"Mr. Parker? Mr. Leeds?" Peter and Ned turned around to see one of Secret Hospital's nurses. "Gwen and Liz are ready to go home."

Once Gwen and Peter got to George's Point, Gwen started to talk to Peter. "Peter, it's the most ironic thing. Why would anybody think that I would have significant information about Spider-man?"

Peter sighed. "I don't know, Gwen." _However, I do know_, Peter thought to himself.

Gwen continued. "They discovered that I know as much about Spider-man as the general public does." Gwen looked at Peter. "What's wrong?"

"Gwen, what were Liz's results?"

"What?"

"What were Liz's results?"

"Why does that matter? If Liz knew Spider-man in any personal way, she would've told me."

"Of course. You're right." Peter started to leave. "Gwen, I'll be right back. I'm going to visit Liz quickly."

Once he came to Liz's apartment, Peter started questioning Liz. "Liz, is Ned here?"

"He just left. Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Liz, what were your results?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your results after the attack."

"I had more Spider-man information than Gwen. I know, shocker, right?"

"Liz, I'm worried about you. Your protection of my secret may hurt you in the long run."

"Peter, this was probably just some random attack."

"I never should've told you my secret. Because of it, you're in danger."

"Peter, I know that I complained at first, but your secret has changed my life for the better. I'll always be there for you, Peter you know that." She smiled at him. "No raging lunatic heck bent on getting Spider-man information is going to change that, Peter. Trust me."

"I've always trusted you, Liz. You will always be my best friend." He smiled at her. "And, you're right. No raging lunatic heck bent on getting Spider-man information is going to change that."


	51. Best Friend

**Chapter Seven**

_Best Friend_

Liz walked into her apartment. She was so grateful that life was finally starting to move normally for Peter… and her and Ned. The Green Goblin had mysteriously decided to take a break. Norman and Harry were on vacation in England. Gwen and Peter were going to be heading down the aisle. Apart from the recent attack, life was going pretty well. She dropped her purse onto the table by the entry way. She flipped on the light. Suddenly, she felt a deep pain. She struggled to look forward to see "Warren."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter walked over to Ned's cubicle in _The Daily Bugle_ office. Ned seemed to be in a daze. Peter looked at him. "What's wrong, Ned?"

"The phone… I… I got a phone call… from Secret Hospital. Liz has been attacked again."

"Is she okay? What about Gwen?"

"Peter, it's the strangest thing. Gwen wasn't attacked this time." He looked at Peter.

"I'll take you over to Secret Hospital right now."

When they finally arrived at Secret Hospital, Dr. Connors greeted them. "Parker, Leeds. You ought to establish permanent residency here." He grabbed Liz's file. "That way, you'll never miss out on anything."

Ned was getting impatient with Dr. Connors' joking attitude. "Is Liz okay?"

"Liz is fine, Ned."

Peter looked at Dr. Connors. "The same guy as last time, that Warren guy?"

"Same guy, Peter. Are you totally sure that Liz doesn't know Spider-man in any personal way?"

Peter thought for a minute. His thoughts automatically raced to Gwen. _She has more of a personal connection to Spider-man than Liz does_, he thought to himself. He started to walk towards the exit. "Peter, where are you going!?"

"Ned, there's something I have to do! See you later, Dr. Connors." With that, Peter was already heading for George's Point. However, when he got there, he was surprised to learn that Gwen was totally… "Fine. I'm fine, Peter. You should be worried about Liz."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Peter, I'm positive." Gwen paused. "Wait a minute; this is about Spider-man, isn't it?"

"What about him?"

Gwen moved to another side of the room. "You told me that this Warren guy was going after people for Spider-man information, right?"

"Right."

"I understand why you think that it's weird that Liz was attacked again instead of me." She faced the window.

_She knows_, Peter thought to himself. "Gwen, whatever you're thinking, there's an explanation."

"You're right, Peter. There is an explanation." She turned around to face him. "Since Spider-man was responsible for my father's death, I would have more information about him than Liz ever would. Now, I can only hope that this Warren guy will give up the chase."

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. "We're all hoping that, Gwen. We're all hoping that."

Later on in the day, Peter went to see Liz at Secret Hospital. "Peter! I'm so happy to see you!"

Peter looked around. "I assume that I missed out on Ned's visit."

Liz nodded. "Ned's very worried, Peter. I told him to go home and get some rest."

"He has reason to worry, Liz."

"He also has a reason to be happy." Peter looked at her questioningly. "I'm going to get to go home today. No more unidentified hospital food for me."

Peter frowned at her. "Liz, the last time you came home, things didn't go so well."

"Peter, I'm convinced that this Warren guy has given up. How much more information can he get from my brain?"

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Liz looked around. She saw nobody coming down the hallway. She looked at Peter. "How come you didn't know that I was in danger?"

Peter looked at her puzzlingly. "What do you mean?"

"Whatever happened to the spider sense?"

Peter looked alarmed for a second. "Liz, it's… it's gone."

"What?"

"Liz, it was with me until…" Peter thought for a second. He had never realized it but he lost his spider sense after his rooftop fall with the Goblin. "The Goblin sprayed something… I felt dizzy for a second…" Peter looked at her. "That was that one battle I told you about. You know, the one where the Goblin pretended to have amnesia." He stopped. "It's funny."

"The Goblin did suddenly go off the radar screen after that. Peter, maybe he wasn't pretending."

"If it is amnesia, I sincerely hope that he never recovers. My life has been better without him and his life is better without me."

"His life?" Liz smiled at him. "You mean to tell me, Peter Parker, that the Green Goblin has a life other than wearing a Halloween costume replica and chasing a man who's also donning a costume?"

"Yeah, I know. Shocking, isn't it?"

Ned helped Liz into her apartment. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Liz scoffed at him. "You're asking that to the wrong person."

"Who should I be asking it to?"

"Yourself." Ned gave her a puzzled look. "I'm worried about you, Ned. You shouldn't be worrying about me all the time. Besides, Warren probably gave up."

"Who is this Warren guy, anyway?"

"Like everybody else, I don't know, Ned. I'm guessing that Warren is his last name."

Ned looked at her. "Liz, can I ask you something personal?"

"What?"

"What do you know about Spider-man?"

"He's a man in a Halloween costume who can climb buildings and save people. That, and _The Daily Bugle_ is totally wrong about him." She looked uneasy. "No offense."

Ned smiled. "Just because Jameson's my boss doesn't mean that I have to like the guy. With the way he treated you, I was tempted to quit myself. However, I need the money for food and shelter."

"It's funny. Jameson was willing to hire me as Betty Brant, yet he wouldn't keep me when he found out that I was really Liz Richardson."

Ned looked at her again. "So, that's all you know?"

"All I know about what…?"

"Spider-man. That's all you know about Spider-man."

Liz weakly smiled. She knew that even though Ned or Peter wouldn't hurt Spider-man, the more people who knew his true identity, the more Spider-man and other people were at risk. She looked him straight in the eye. "That's all I know."

Ned hugged her. "Liz, that's one of the things I love about you. Absolutely no secrecy."

"Right." Lucky for Liz, Ned couldn't see her worried facial expression.


	52. Misunderstandings

**Chapter Eight**

_Misunderstandings_

Liz went over to Peter's apartment. Peter handed her a book. "Hi, Liz, I decided to take a stroll down memory lane today." Liz didn't feel like taking a stroll down memory lane, but if it made Peter happy…

"What's this?"

Peter smiled. "It's our old yearbook. Remember, Liz? We were nominated… and we won for the best friends' forever category."

"Uh-huh." Liz grimaced and grabbed her forehead. She sank down into a chair. Peter looked alarmed.

"Liz, what's wrong?"

Liz didn't want to alarm him. "Peter, I have a really bad migraine, so I just need to go home and get some rest. Okay?" She weakly smiled at him as she rushed out of the apartment. However, she knew that it was worse than the typical migraine pain. She needed to see Dr. Connors.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Everybody! Look this way!" Ned's attention span at _The Daily Bugle_ was broken by an announcement from Jameson. "After a long and tedious search to find a replacement for Betty Brant or a.k.a. Liz Richardson, that deceitful little worker who Ned Leeds recommended…" Jameson paused. "Thanks a lot, Leeds! Not! Anyway, we have finally found a replacement. Everybody, please welcome Miss Lauren Tyler!" Ned applauded with the rest of the _Bugle _staff before he returned back to work. _Miss Tyler's little introduction was probably just a way for Jameson to get back at me_, Ned thought to himself.

"Hi! Listen, I'm sorry about what happened." Ned looked up to see Lauren talking to him.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Tyler. You shouldn't be the one apologizing."

"Please call me Lauren. By the way, is Jameson always that bad?"

"No. Sometimes, he's worse."

Liz was anxiously awaiting the results of Dr. Connor's test in Secret Hospital. Finally, Dr. Connors walked into the room. Liz looked at him. "Well, what is it?"

"All of those attacks have finally caught up with you, Liz. Your head is responding like any normal head would."

"Is it fixable?"

"Yes, but there's a catch."

"There's always a catch."

"Tell me about it. Anyway, I can fix this, but it will probably cause some memory loss. However, the loss won't be severe enough to be a problem. Now, listen, I can do this today, but first you should tell your friends and your family so that they can be here to help with the memory issue. From evidence from the past few days, you have a wide group of people who are willing to support you. That's going to be very helpful in a case like this."

"Thanks, Dr. Connors. I'll be back."

Gwen and Peter were shocked to hear the news. Gwen spoke first. "So, Liz, you decided that you're going to have the operation today? Isn't that a little bit soon?"

"Gwen, I can't live like this. The pain is so intense that I can barely think sometimes. You won't like me if I don't do this. I won't like myself if I don't do this."

Gwen frowned. "Spider-man is responsible for all of this mess. Warren never would've come after you if he weren't looking for information on Spider-man. Why can't Spider-man just stay out of our lives?"

Liz frowned. "Gwen, please no drama. I can't deal with it today."

Peter looked at Liz. "Liz, we are going to be there for you through this. You can count on that."

Liz smiled weakly at Peter. "Thank you."

Peter looked at his watch. "Well, lunch break at _The Daily Bugle_ is almost over. I have to go back to work."

"I'll go with you. I have to talk to Ned."

Peter and Liz walked into the _Bugle_. The phone rang. Peter looked at Liz. "Well, ringing phones won't answer themselves."

"That's okay, Peter. I wanted to talk to Ned privately."

"I understand." Peter left. Liz started to walk over to Ned's cubicle. She was shocked to see Lauren laughing with and talking to Ned.

"Oh, Ned, you're so funny. We should go out together for coffee sometime." Liz left after she heard that. Ned looked at Lauren.

"I already have a girlfriend, Lauren. You should meet her sometime."

"I should've known that somebody would have already picked you up, Ned. You're one of the nicest guys I've ever met."

"I know some people who wouldn't agree with you on that."

"Uh, Ned, could you come here a second?" Peter looked at Ned. "I need to talk to you privately.

"Sure. Excuse me." Ned went over to talk to Peter. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Ned, I can only imagine what you're going through right now. If all of these things happened to Gwen, I would be an absolute wreck."

"What are you talking about?"

Peter looked at him puzzlingly. "You mean, Liz didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Liz was relieved as she walked to her apartment after the operation. It was very simple. The pain was gone, all of her memories were still intact and she didn't have to spend hours in the hospital. She was surprised to see Ned waiting for her by the apartment complex. "Uh, Ned, please come in." When they got to her apartment, both of them walked into the living room. Ned looked uncomfortable.

"Liz, I've been trying to think of all I was going to say this for the longest time, but it always comes out the same way." He breathed out. "How dare you!"

"How dare I? What are you talking about?"

"I guess Mary Jane and I are in the same boat. You don't care enough about either one of us!"

"Ned, what's going on?"

"Peter told me about your little operation. Through a couple of phone calls, I was able to figure out that Mary Jane and I were the only people who haven't been told. I should've been told first!"

Liz breathed. "Ned, I was going to tell you and Mary Jane, but after I saw you with the new office worker, I wasn't in the mood to tell you or for that matter, Mary Jane."

"You're talking about Lauren!?"

"If she's Miss Coffee, then yes."

"Liz, I refused her coffee offer. I told her about you."

"Ned, I saw the way you two looked at each other."

"Liz, this is absolutely soap opera ridiculousness! I have a legitimate reason to be angry! You don't!" He paused. "You don't trust me and you don't think that I should have information about your personal life. This only proves to me one thing."

"What?"

"Liz, it's over. I'm accepting Lauren's invitation for coffee." He walked out.

Later that day, Liz was walking through the city when Peter saw her. He walked over to her. "Liz, I've been looking for you all day! How did it go? Are you okay?"

"Everything's fine, Peter. The pain is gone and my memories are still intact."

"Liz, that's great!"

"Yeah, Peter, everything's just.. fine." She looked at the corner café. Lauren and Ned were chatting away.

Lauren looked at Ned. "I'm sorry about you and Liz. It's her fault that she couldn't see what a great guy she had." She smiled at him. "However, it's her loss, my gain."

Liz turned back to Peter. She had a worried facial expression. "Yeah, Peter, everything's just fine."


	53. One Full Day

**Chapter Nine**

_One Full Day_

Peter went over to George's Point. Gwen was surprised to see him. "Peter, it's a work day. Shouldn't you be at _The Daily Bugle_?"

Peter smiled. "Gwen, I took today as a vacation day." He looked at her. "You're allowed to take your own vacation days whenever you want to, right?"

"Right…"

"And so far, you've only taken days off when you're sick… right?"

"Right… Peter, what is this about?"

"Gwen, you and I deserve a vacation. How about taking one today?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz walked into _The Daily Bugle_ with a tray of frozen coffees. She wanted to surprise Peter. Also, she wanted to make up for ruining his coffee surprise earlier. As she hit the elevator button, she was shocked to see who was behind the elevator doors. It was Ned. Liz was uncomfortable. "Uh, I'll go take the stairs." She started to leave. Ned stopped her.

"Liz, that won't be necessary. It's just a short trip, and during that short trip we can still be halfway nice to each other."

Liz sighed. "You know what? You're right." She stepped into the elevator. The doors closed. Suddenly, the elevator stopped. Liz looked at Ned. "Don't tell me…"

"We're stuck."

Meanwhile, Gwen and Peter were enjoying their vacation day. Gwen looked at Peter. "When was the last time we had a vacation?"

"Gwen…" Peter stopped. He looked down. "Gwen, the last time that we had a vacation was when George was still with us. He arranged it, and he took care of everything until…"

"Until Mary Jane needed our help." Gwen looked down. "You know, Peter, sometimes it still feels like yesterday." She looked at him. "Sometimes, it feels like I'm in a dream. The only problem is I never wake up."

"I know, Gwen. I know."

Gwen smiled at him. "Leave it to Mary Jane to stop a vacation day."

Back at the _Bugle_ office, Liz was hitting the elevator's emergency button. "Ned, nobody's answering! What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Liz."

Liz sat the tray of coffees down. Then, she sat down. Ned sat down across from her. She picked up a little piece of paper by her purse. "What's this?" She looked at Ned.

"I don't know, Liz, what is it, garbage? You'd be amazed how easily this place is littered.

"Ned, this paper is signed 'Warren'." She held it up so that he could see it.

"It doesn't say anything else."

Liz frowned. "What is Warren up to?" She heard a ticking sound. "Ned, I didn't know that the elevator had a clock."

"It doesn't have a clock, Liz."

"Don't you hear that sound?"

Ned stood up. He looked at the elevator's roof. "Liz, are you great at hacking and/or disabling things?"

"It depends. Why?"

"Well, if you're not, we're going to get blown up."

Gwen smiled at Peter. "Peter, I never meant to take my hatred against Spider-man out on you."

"What do you mean, Gwen?"

"I argued with you about Spider-man because I knew that you were his photographer. I resented the fact that you were still taking pictures of him even after what he did to my father. Now, especially with Liz's encounter with Jameson, I know that taking pictures of Spider-man is currently the only way you can get money from Jameson." She weakly smiled at him. "Also, since you are the only guy in town who can take Spider-man pictures, I thought that you two might be best friends or something." She smiled at him again. "Peter, now I know that you have no friend connection with him and you're only taking pictures of him to get money. I also know that there's a better job waiting for you. You're one of the most brilliant people I ever met." She hugged him.

"Gwen, I promise you, as soon as we are married, I will stop taking pictures of Spider-man. It's just that I need the extra money for the wedding…"

Gwen stopped him. "I understand, Peter. I understand."

Peter's thoughts were racing. How in the world was he going to hide his secret identity from Gwen after they were married? She'd discover the Spider-man outfit or she'd think that he was having an affair. _It will all work out_, Peter told himself. He was confident that it would.

Liz was studying the bomb. Ned looked at her. "Any luck?"

"Ned, I'm good at disabling, however, I'm not _that_ good at disabling." She sat down. "Where is Peter, anyway?" She looked at Ned.

"Oh, he went on a vacation with Gwen. Isn't that great? Both of them never take a break. They deserve it."

"Yeah, they do deserve it." Liz was starting to panic. Peter was having problems with the spider sense aspect, so he'd never discover them.

"You know what, Liz?"

"What?"

"If we don't make it out of here, I want to tell you I'm sorry now. You saw Lauren and I together and you thought that something else was going on…"

"I'm sorry, too. You're the first person that should've been told. Instead, you were the last. It's just that… I was scared to tell you because I loved you so much. Out of all of the people I know, the last person I wanted to lose my memories of was you." Liz felt awkward. "So, how are you and what's her name doing?"

"Lauren and I are doing okay." Ned felt awkward, too. "Hey, wait a minute, Liz, the ticking has stopped." Suddenly, the doors opened.

"We're going to survive after all." Both of them walked out. "Well, I'm going to go find Peter…" She started to walk. Ned stopped her.

"Liz, there's no reason why we can't be friends."

"You're right, Ned. There's no reason why we can't be friends." She smiled at him. "Well, I better deliver these to Peter."

"Yeah, I have work to do."

"Well, see you later." She walked out. Ned watched her regretfully.

Liz went over to Peter's apartment with the coffees. "Here you go, Peter. What used to be frozen coffees." She handed one to him. "Try not to spill it on me this time around."

"Thanks, Liz."

"So, how was your vacation with Gwen?"

"We both really needed a vacation. It was one of the best things that happened to both of us. Everybody needs their alone time, and we were able to figure things out together."

"Spider-man and Peter Parker?"

"She knows me as Peter Parker. She doesn't know me as Spider-man. She never will." He looked at Liz. "That's for the best. I don't want all of my foes going after her the way they went after you."

"Speaking of that, did you feel any senses of danger today?"

"No, today was great. Why?" Peter looked at her. "Don't tell me."

"Ned and I just avoided getting blown up by the mysterious Warren today. Warren changed his mind at the last minute for whatever reason."

"How are you and Ned doing?"

"We agreed to be friends." She looked uneasy.

"You still love him, don't you?"

She frowned at him. "Wounds heal themselves, Peter. You need to see Dr. Connors."

"Liz, I can't. Dr. Connors would know my identity if I did that." He looked at her. "It will be all right. The spider sense still works… _most_ of the time."

"What about the time when it doesn't work? How do you know when somebody needs your help?"

"Well…"

"That's what I was afraid of."


	54. The Right One

**Chapter Ten**

_The Right One_

Ned sighed at _The Daily Bugle_ office. Jameson was a demanding boss. _If Jameson hadn't forced me to stay late tonight, I could be enjoying my life_, Ned thought to himself as he flipped through papers. "Hi, Ned." He looked up to see Lauren.

"Oh, Lauren, hi. Listen, Jameson wanted me to stay late tonight…"

"That's fine. I'll keep you company." She looked at him. "So, I heard that you were trapped in the elevator with Richardson?"

"Word gets around fast. It was nothing but a devious plot conceived by a maniac."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're okay." She moved closer to him. "Ned, I was worried about you. However, it was nothing that a latte and some shopping couldn't fix." She looked at him. "Ned, the point that I'm trying to make is that I love you." She leaned in to kiss him. He turned away. "What's wrong?"

"Lauren, I'm still in love with Liz. I'm sorry."

"Have a nice life, Leeds. She walked out of the building. She went over to her car. Her car had something on it. She looked at it. "Warren.. what does that mean?" She fell down because a sedative hit her.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz looked at Gwen. Gwen was normally much more straight forward. Today, she seemed to be dancing around a subject. "Gwen, what is it? You called me on the phone. You told me that you had an emergency and that I needed to come over to George's Point right away. What is it?"

"Liz, this is going to be so awkward. However, you knew her better than I did."

"Who, Gwen?"

"Lauren Tyler, Ned's girlfriend, was kidnapped by our mysterious adversary, "Warren," last night. I was wondering if you could help me solve the case and find her."

"Gwen, I don't know what to say." Liz thought for a minute. "The thing is I didn't know her that well. Why don't you contact Ned?"

"I tried to contact Ned, but he wasn't there. He's doing some newspaper thing for Jameson…"

"Gwen, you and professional courtesy always comes first before awkwardness. I will help you find her."

"Really? Oh, Liz, thank you so much!" Gwen hugged Liz. "Well, I guess we'd better get started." Gwen stepped over to her desk. "In this file, I have all of the information I could find on Miss Lauren Tyler." Liz looked at the file.

"Gwen, it's practically empty."

"Well, that's where I was hoping you could help me out. You know more about Lauren than I do."

"The only thing I do know about Lauren is that she is Ned's girlfriend."

"Maybe you do know about as much about her as I do." Gwen sighed. "Well, in that case we better start searching."

Gwen and Liz went over to _The Daily Bugle_ office. Gwen looked at the ground. "What's this?" She picked up the object. It was a locket. Gwen looked at the inscription. "To Lauren,. Love, Ned." She looked at Liz. "Oh, Liz, I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay, Gwen. Let's just get on with the case, please." Liz was feeling uncomfortable. Gwen pulled out a magnifying glass to look for more evidence. Liz looked at her. "Gwen, I have to tell you something and it's not going to be easy."

"What is it, Liz?"

"I'm leaving after the wedding."

"What? Why?"

"Let's face it, Gwen. You and Peter won't need me in your lives after you get married. The only other person I know is Mary Jane and she's only there for people half of the time. Aunt May will want to see you and Peter, not me. Norman will come back and his amnesia will disappear. I permanently lost my job at _The Daily Bugle_'s rival when I ran off and Jameson would only hire me as Betty Brant, not Liz Richardson. Finally, Ned has definitely moved on and he doesn't need me around, either. The simplest thing for me to do would be to leave after the wedding."

"Liz, don't leave. I need you. Peter needs you."

"You think you do, but you won't."

"We'll see about that." Gwen thought for a second. She smiled to herself. "Well, while you are here, Liz, I need you to help me."

Liz looked at her. "Why don't we split up? I'll go that way and you can go this way. That way, we can find her faster."

"Sounds good to me."

Several minutes later, Gwen was getting frustrated. She went to see how Liz was doing. "Liz? Liz? Where are you?" There was no reply. "C'mon, Liz, this isn't funny." There was still no answer. Gwen noticed a piece of paper on the ground. She picked it up. The name "Warren" was written on the piece of paper. Gwen picked up her phone. She called Ned. "Ned? I need your help. Liz is in trouble. I think Warren kidnapped her."

When Ned finally arrived, he and Gwen raced to find Liz. They came across the old warehouse. Gwen looked at Ned. "What do you think?"

"Anything's worth a try." They tried the warehouse door. It was locked. Ned looked around. He noticed a broken fire escape that was near a window. Gwen looked at him. "Ned, be careful!" However, before the words even had a chance to come out of her mouth, Ned was climbing the fire escape. When he got to the window, he broke the window with his coat jacket. He climbed into the room. There was Liz, tied to a supporting arch in the room. Ned went over to untie her. Liz looked at him. "Ned… you came for _me_? I don't believe it…"

"Liz, I love you. I made a huge mistake by not trusting you before and I'm not going to let it happen again." He looked around cautiously. "Where's Warren?"

"I don't know."

"Most villains don't take a hike at the climax. Then again, Warren isn't like most villains." He looked around again. "Is Lauren in here?"

"I don't know where she is."

Ned frowned. "At least you're safe. Come on, let's get out of here."

Later that day, Liz went to Peter's apartment to see him. "What's the point of being Spider-man if you can't save anybody?"

"Don't tell me…"

"It happened again. Ned saved me this time. We're back together."

"That's wonderful, Liz." However, Peter was thinking about something else.

"Peter, you need to see Dr. Connors."

"Liz, I am not going to put Dr. Connors into that spot. Everybody who knows my secret, Sally, you, everybody who knows ends up being hurt. I will not do that to another person."

Liz sighed. "You're right. I'm going to see Gwen." She started to walk out. She stopped. "Peter, you have to figure out what is going on with the spider sense. Right now, everybody has been able to be saved without you; however what happens on the day that they can't be saved?" She looked at him. "What happens on the day that you can't be saved?" She walked out.

"I hate unsolved cases," Gwen said as she stamped the word "unsolved" on the Lauren Tyler file. "I just feel like I'm not able to help anybody."

"You were able to help me," Liz said.

"I'm very grateful about that. Speaking of that, how would you like a job, Miss Richardson?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, everybody needs a vice president."

Liz looked at her. "Are you serious? Do you mean it?"

"Liz, I couldn't ask for a better vice president. Just sign in over here." Gwen stepped over to the computerized system.

"Welcome to George's Point," a computerized voice said.

"Gwen Stacy is online," Gwen said into a headset. She looked at Liz. "Your turn."

Liz put the headset on. "Liz Richardson is now online." Liz smiled.


	55. Engaged

**Chapter Eleven**

_Engaged_

Mary Jane groaned to herself. After a lot of convincing from Gwen, Liz, Peter and Aunt May, she finally decided to go to Gwen and Peter's engagement party. She looked at all of the personalized items on the table that had a picture of Gwen and Peter on it. Both of them looked so happy to be together. Mary Jane groaned again. By this time, the necklace had almost placed sort of a choking hold on her. "Gwen and Peter were always my best friends." Mary Jane looked up to see Liz giving one of many congratulation speeches of the evening. "However, it wasn't exactly love at first sight." The audience laughed. Mary Jane concentrated on the necklace until she heard Liz say, "Now, my good friend Mary Jane Watson will congratulate Gwen and Peter." Mary Jane looked at Liz with a horrified expression. Mary Jane weakly walked up to the podium.

"Liz, this isn't a good idea."

"Don't worry, Mary Jane. You'll do a great job."

Mary Jane walked up to the podium. The necklace was almost choking her. "I think… I think…" Mary Jane frowned. The necklace had taken control. "I think that Gwen and Peter shouldn't get married."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

The audience gasped. Mary Jane tried to weakly smile. "Uh, that's all." She walked away from the podium. Suddenly, she fell down. Gwen looked at Peter.

"Is this some weird publicity stunt that she's trying to pull?"

"Gwen, I think she's serious."

"Peter, Mary Jane is _never_ serious." She looked at him. "I'm going home with Ned and Liz." She started to walk towards Liz.

"Gwen, wait! Don't go!"

Ned looked at Peter. "It'll be okay, Peter. Gwen just needs some time." They left. Peter raced over to Mary Jane. He tried to get her attention.

"Mary Jane, Mary Jane, are you okay?" There was no response. Peter picked her up and carried her towards the exit.

The next day, Mary Jane slowly woke up on Peter's couch. She pretended to be surprised. "Peter, what happened? Where am I?"

"Well, Mary Jane, somehow in one night you managed to insult Gwen, pass out and be taken to the hospital where it was discovered that all you had was a severe case of exhaustion."

Mary Jane laughed nervously. "We actors never get a break. So, what happened with Gwen exactly?"

"Well…" Peter walked over to sit across from her. "Liz was giving a congratulations speech and she offered the podium to you. Instead of congratulating us, you said that we shouldn't get married."

Mary Jane sighed. "Oh, Peter, I'm sorry. You know…" She paused. The necklace was fighting her words. She wanted to say, "You know that I think both of you are perfect for each other," but she couldn't. Instead, she said, "You know how I feel about you two."

"Try to get some more sleep, okay? I know that Liz gave you the podium last night and that wasn't fair to you. You're just lucky that it was just at a small engagement party and not at a big, public event."

She smiled. "You're right. Listen, I want to apologize to Gwen. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure."

When Peter and Mary Jane went to George's Point, they were shocked to discover that nobody was there. Mary Jane looked at Peter. "That's funny. Gwen almost never leaves George's Point."

"She did go home with Ned and Liz last night. She may be at Liz's apartment."

When they went to Liz's apartment, they were shocked to find that nobody was there. Mary Jane looked at Peter. "Maybe everybody is at Ned's…"

"They couldn't be. I tried Ned's phone. Nobody answered."

"Where could everybody possibly be at this early in the morning?"

Gwen grimaced. She was starting to wake up from a sedative, and she discovered that she was tied to a chair behind a table. She saw Ned and Liz, sitting across from each other, both of them in the same predicament. At the other head of the table was an unfamiliar face. Liz spoke up first. "Let me guess, your name is Warren?"

The man at the head of the table frowned. "Who's Warren? I'm here for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to tell this young woman who her fiancé really is." He motioned to Gwen. Liz had a worried look on her face.

"You're insane," Liz said to the man.

"Thank you, Miss Richardson. First, I'm going to question Ned Leeds." He turned to Ned. "Is Peter Parker Spider-man?"

"Parker!?" Ned laughed slightly. "Please, Peter would never hurt a fly."

"So, he's not Spider-man?"

"He most certainly is not."

"Okay." He untied Ned from the chair; however, Ned's hands and legs were still tied together. "Ned, have you ever drowned before?" He led Ned to a nearby room. Liz screamed,

"No! Don't!"

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Richardson, if your cooperation skills are anything like your boyfriends, you'll soon be together."

Peter and Mary Jane passed a jewelry store. "You know, Mary Jane, that's the store where I bought Gwen's ring."

"Really?" She stopped. "How did you know?"

"How did I know what?"

"How did you know that Gwen was the one?"

"MJ, when you meet that person, you'll know. It's difficult to explain."

Mary Jane looked at him. She would've asked him to explain, but she had a pretty good idea that she already knew what he meant.

The man looked at Liz. "Okay, Liz, is Spider-man, that man that murdered your friend's father, Peter Parker, one of your closest friends and Gwen's fiancé?"

"He most definitely… is… not!" She tried to kick him, but the rope was constraining her feet.

"Miss Richardson, you are going to be very happy."

"Why?"

"You're going to get to join your boyfriend."

Liz looked at Gwen. "It'll be okay, Gwen. Don't give in!" Liz was led away by the man. When the man returned, he looked at Gwen.

"I'm sorry, Gwen, but I'm going to have to delay our interview for awhile." He went into another room. Mary Jane was just starting to wake up from a sedative. She looked exhausted. Her eye caught Peter's at another corner of the table. He was in the same predicament. The man looked at both of them. "Well, so far, Miss Richardson and Mr. Leeds have refused to cooperate. No word yet on Miss Stacy. What about Miss Watson and Mr. Parker?" He looked at Mary Jane. "Mary Jane, is Spider-man Peter Parker?" She looked at him.

"I would never tell you who Spider-man is. Once we get out of here, you are going to be hearing from the New York Police Department!"

The man sighed. "You should've said 'if we get out of here,' Miss Watson." He led her into another room. Peter struggled with the rope. The man walked back into the room. "Well, Mr. Parker, are you Spider-man?"

"I am not Spider-man! I only take his pictures! Now, will you let me and my friends go?"

The man frowned at him. "Not a chance." He led Peter into the room where Mary Jane was. "Now, I'm going to interview Miss Stacy." He walked over to see Gwen. "Gwen, is Spider-man, Peter Parker?"

"Peter would never lie to me. He's just his photographer. Trust me, Peter would never lie to me. If he were Spider-man, I would've been the first one to find out about it."

The man sighed. "You and your friends need to take some classes in cooperation."

Mary Jane and Peter's room filled up with water rapidly. She looked at him. "Peter, what are we going to do?" There was no answer. She looked at him. "Peter, if we don't make it, you were always one of my closest friends."

"You were always one of my closest friends." Peter noticed an exit while Mary Jane silently smiled to herself. To protect his identity, Peter quickly sedated her. He swung over to the door with her arms around his neck. By breaking the glass panel on the door, he was able to unlock the door. A bunch of water and Mary Jane and Peter came out of the room. He woke her up. "Uh, listen, Miss Watson, I need your help." They found the room where Ned and Liz were being held. Liz and Ned were very grateful to see them.

"Thank you! You came just in time," Liz said. Mary Jane looked worried.

"Gwen's not with you, is she?"

"No, but we will save her," Liz said. The four of them went to another room. "Gwen's in here." Peter, as Spider-man, stopped her.

"Miss Richardson, I have to sedate her first. Otherwise, she'll freak out." After Gwen was sedated, Peter pulled Gwen out of the room. "Well, I have to go." Spider-man left. Seconds later, Peter emerged. "Gwen! Liz! Ned! Mary Jane! I'm so glad all of you are safe. Well, there's no sign of our mysterious captor." Gwen was shocked.

"Peter, you were actually looking for him? You could've been killed."

"Gwen, I'm okay, but I didn't find him. Instead, I found this." He held up a note that had the name "Warren" on it.

Back at George's Point, everybody was showing Mary Jane footage of the engagement party. Mary Jane was embarrassed. She turned to Gwen. "Oh, Gwen, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay, Mary Jane. You were tired and Liz shouldn't have asked you to give a speech."

"Well, I didn't think that Mary Jane would take us on a trip into _The Twilight Zone_. She's something else, isn't she?"

Peter smiled. "She certainly is."


	56. The New Ally

**Chapter Twelve**

_The New Ally_

"What exactly is a Batman supposed to do without Robin," Peter jokingly said to Liz. Liz smiled at him.

"This whole vacation idea is your fault. When you and Gwen went on the vacation, Ned and I loved the vacation idea."

"Anyway, have fun. When is Gwen coming back?"

"I don't know. She went to get groceries."

"Well, I'll be okay. Spider-man will have to be okay, somehow."

"He will, he will. I'll miss you, Peter." Liz smiled at him. "Well, it's time to go." She left. After she left, Peter's attention was turned to the crime monitor at George's Point.

"Police are trying desperately to catch a robber after he robbed the Lane Bank this morning." Peter frowned at the TV. He'd definitely need some inside help for this one, and Liz was out of commission. Gwen definitely couldn't be his crime fighting partner. Who could? The phone rang.

"Hi, Peter, this is Mary Jane. Is Liz there?" _Bingo_, Peter thought to himself.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Uh, Peter, is Liz there?" Mary Jane was starting to get frustrated.

"Oh, uh, Liz isn't here. She and Ned decided to have a vacation."

"Well, in that case, I'll call later."

"Wait, Mary Jane, would you mind helping me out with something?"

"What?"

"I'll tell you later. Could you come over to my apartment?"

"Sure, Peter, I'll be right there."

When Mary Jane went over to his apartment, she said, "Okay, what do you need my help with?"

"I need you to help me solve something."

"Friend problems? Fiancée problems?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I need you to help me solve… a robbery."

"Okay." She looked at him. "Although that totally wasn't what I was expecting to hear, but…" She frowned. "Wait a minute, why didn't you ask for Gwen's help? She would know way more about this than I would because of George's Point."

"Well, uh, Gwen already has a lot on her plate and I didn't want to bug her."

"So, when did you get into the crime fighting business, anyway?"

"It's not going to be permanent, Mary Jane. I just took this one to help Gwen."

"Hold on, Peter, how are we going to know where this guy is going?"

"I don't know." Peter sat down. "MJ, I'm starting to lose my confidence about this case." A strange yet familiar sensation came over him. There was danger at… the Olsen bank. Peter jumped up. "It's back!" Mary Jane looked confused.

"What's back?"

"Uh, my confidence about solving this case. Mary Jane, come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the Olsen bank."

When they got to the Olsen bank, Peter turned to Mary Jane. "I'll go in. You can stay here." Mary Jane stopped him.

"No, I'm going in. If anybody knows that you're Spider-man's photographer, you could be hurt." Peter frowned.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. I'll be right back." She left. Peter frowned. He got out of the car.

Mary Jane walked into the bank. She was trying to keep an eye on all of the patrons when one of the patrons came up to her. "Forgive me for saying this, but you look a lot like that actress Mary Jane Watson."

"That's because you're talking to her now."

"Oh, really? I'm a big fan of your work. You were really great in that one play. What was the name of it? You worked with that one really old actress Frances Foray in that one. What was that title of that play? I can't remember it."

She lightly smiled. "_Forget Me Not_."

Peter moved to the side of the building. If Mary Jane needed Spider-man's assistance, he needed to be ready.

The fan looked at Mary Jane. "What was the name of the last play that you did?"

"_Tears and Tragedy_." The fan looked at her.

"You better remember that play."

"Why?"

"It's the last play you're going to be in." He grabbed a gun from his pocket. Mary Jane hit him. The pain caused him to drop the gun. Mary Jane grabbed the gun and she ran. Once she was outside of the building, she ran to get Peter, but something stopped her.

"Leave me alone, you jerk!" She turned around to see Spider-man. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought…"

"It's okay. You'd be amazed how often I got that reaction from _The Daily Bugle_." He ran towards the door. Several seconds later, the police were walking the web-tied man out to the police car. Mary Jane noticed Peter, who was coming from the local café. "MJ, you'd be amazed how expensive coffee has gotten now a days. However, it's all worth it. You know, I knew that you would be just fine. That's why I left. Crime fighting sure is boring, isn't it?"

At George's Point, Gwen was shocked. "Peter, I can't believe that you were actually at the scene of a crime. I appreciate you trying to help me out, but I was more familiar with these scenarios because of all of those years with Dad."

"So, I helped you out once. Although, that's going to be the last time. I was bored because Mary Jane insisted on doing all of the crime fighting." Peter looked at Mary Jane.

"Oh, stop it, Pete. I didn't do that much."

"C'mon, Mary Jane, without you, the guy would've escaped."

"You know, Pete, if you ever need my help again, I'll be happy to offer my assistance.

"We make a good team, don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

Gwen frowned at both of them. "Both of you were lucky this time. However, next time leave it to the professionals." She looked at them again. "Thank you for helping me out this time, though."

Liz was saying goodbye to Ned at the airport. "Are you absolutely sure you have to go?"

"Well, Jameson is a demanding boss, and if he tells you to catch a plane, you have to catch a plane."

"Who does he think you are, King Kong?"

"Very funny, Liz. Actually, I probably should be grateful for this assignment. This assignment is any reporter's dream job."

"Good luck."

"Thank you." They kissed. Ned left. "I'll see you soon."

"I'm holding you to that promise." Liz smiled.


	57. One True Love

**Chapter Thirteen**

_One True Love_

Peter was visiting Aunt May. May brought down a photo album. She pointed to a picture. "Peter, this is one of the only photos I have of the day that I married Ben." She sighed. "Sometimes, it still feels like yesterday. Other times, that day keeps being farther and farther away." She tried to force a smile. She looked at Peter. "So, do you have any new plans for the wedding?"

"As a matter of fact, we do." Peter paused. His cell phone was ringing. He looked at the phone. It was an unfamiliar number. "May, would you mind if I answered that?"

"Go ahead, Peter." Peter left the room. He walked into his old room.

"Hello?"

"Spider-man, your true love will die by the end of today." _Click_.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter slowly turned off his phone. He walked into the living room. "Uh, Aunt May, I have to go."

"Is everything all right, Peter?"

"Everything's fine, Aunt May. I have to go." He left.

When he arrived at George's Point, Gwen was surprised to see him. "Peter! What are you doing here? I thought you were visiting Aunt May."

"Uh, I was, but I wanted to see you. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Why?"

"Well, you know, with George's Point and everything, I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Peter, I'm fine, trust me." Gwen looked at her watch. "Peter, it's getting late! You'd better get over to _The Daily Bugle_ unless you want Jameson to fire you."

Peter sighed. "You know what? You're right. I'll see you later. Just… just… don't go anywhere today, okay?"

"Peter, I'll be fine. Trust me." She smiled at him. "I've been running George's Point this whole time and nothing has happened. I'll be fine. I'm worried about you. You better get to work."

"You're right. I'll see you later."

At _The Daily Bugle_ office, Peter could barely concentrate on his work. Ned looked at him. "What's wrong, Peter?"

"Huh, Ned?"

"What's wrong, Peter?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Okay then, if nothing's wrong, then how come you can't concentrate on your work?"

"Ned, I am totally concentrated on my work." He turned to his computer screen. "This isn't my article."

"That's because you're at _my_ cubicle."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ned." Peter got up.

"You know, Peter, if you ever need to talk, I'm here. Actually, it's lunch break right now, and this would be a great time to talk…"

"Lunch break!? I need to call Gwen." Peter raced off.

Ned sighed. "Well, that went extremely well," he said to himself.

Peter went into the break room and he locked the door. He called Gwen. "Gwen, this is Peter! How are you? Are you there?"

Gwen sighed. "Yes, Peter, I'm here. Why are you so worried about me today?"

"Oh, no reason, it's just that I know that you have a dangerous job…"

"Peter, I've had this job for quite awhile and you're getting worried _now_?"

Peter sighed. "Gwen, just don't leave George's Point today. Promise me that."

"Peter, do you know something that I don't know?"

"No, just promise me, okay?"

"All right, Peter, I promise. I just think that you're overreacting…"

"Gwen, just don't leave. Trust me. I have to go." Peter hung up.

After the work day at _The Daily Bugle_ ended, Peter raced over to George's Point. To his surprise, Gwen wasn't there. He walked over to Liz. "Liz, where is Gwen?"

"Peter, she went to get groceries. She said that she needed a break from George's Point and honestly, you. Why have you been checking up on her 24/7?"

"Liz, I couldn't tell Gwen, but I can tell you. When I was over at Aunt May's house, I received a call on my cell phone. The caller addressed me as Spider-man and he told me that my true love would be dead by the end of the day. So, I've been trying to protect Gwen all day." He paused. "Which grocery store did she go to?"

"Peter, she went to Durst Market. But…" She stopped him. "Before you race over there, would you listen to me on something?"

"What?"

"I don't think that the killer is after Gwen. I think he's after you. By targeting Spider-man's love, he probably hopes to wear Spider-man down so that killing Spider-man is an easy battle. Besides, you're trying to keep your second life a secret from Gwen and she's wondering why you're so concerned about her on a nondescript day like this."

"Liz, you may be correct, however, I'm still worried about Gwen. I'm heading over to Durst market right…" His ringing cell phone interrupted his thoughts. "Hold on." He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Spider-man, your true love is now my captive. You better come over if you want her to live." _Click_.

Liz looked at Peter. "Don't tell me…"

"He's found her. Liz, I have to go."

"Peter, be careful! I won't lose you… or Gwen!"

"Liz, I have to do what I have to do." He left.

Peter's spider sense directed him to an abandoned warehouse. He swung in through an open window. When he saw the man, he stopped. The man looked at him. "Well, Spider-man, I guess that you received my calls. Otherwise, why would you be here, right?"

Peter was getting impatient. "Where is she?"

The man smiled. He stepped to the side. When Peter saw her, he was shocked. Mary Jane was tied to one of the building's supports.

"Well, Spider-man, my guess is that nobody has ever threatened you with anything so personal before."

"You'd be surprised." The man frowned.

"Why would I be surprised?"

"First, I have been threatened with more personal things. Second, what do you know about this building?"

"Not much. Why?"

"Well, the side of the floor that you're standing on is completely unstable."

"You're joking."

"For your sake, I wish I was." Peter, as Spider-man, walked over to untie Mary Jane. The man tried to step over to stop him. He fell through the floor. Mary Jane was very happy to see him. She looked at him. "So, it was true?"

"Definitely. That floor is one of the most unsteady surfaces I've ever seen."

"I uh… I wasn't talking about the floor."

"Oh. No need to worry, I have a girl in my life and I'm sure you have a nice young man in your life. So, Miss Watson, there's no need to worry about that, you're definitely not my true love." He looked at her. "I'm sure that's a relief for you."

She couldn't say anything because the ring was stopping her. Peter looked at her. "Well, being kidnapped was surely a shock. Everything's going to be fine."

She looked at him. "I wish."

"Trust me, it will be. I'll take you back to your apartment."


	58. Alter Ego

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Alter Ego_

Peter, Mary Jane and Ned were walking down a sidewalk. Ned turned to Peter. "Well, what did you think of the movie?"

"It could've been better. Liz and Gwen made the right choice by deciding not to go."

"The special effects on that octopus were really obvious." Ned paused. "Is it just me or is that man watching us?" All of them looked down the way to see a man coming toward them. The man stopped.

"Give me your money." Peter turned to Ned and Mary Jane.

"Uh, I'll see you guys later." He ran off.

The man frowned. "Your friend is a coward."

"Thank you, captain of the obvious," Mary Jane said. "We don't have any money on us."

"Nice try, redhead, but I don't believe you."

"Honestly, do we look like we have any money?"

"I guess the real question is do you both of you want to live?" Before they could respond, Spider-man had swung down. He tied the guy to the lamp post. Then, he grabbed Mary Jane, and he swung her to the other sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. He did the same thing to Ned. Then, he swung away. Ned turned to Mary Jane.

"You know, Mary Jane, I've been trying to figure out who Spider-man is all this time and I've just figured it out." He paused. "It's Peter."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

The next day at _The Daily Bugle_ office, Ned greeted Peter with frozen coffee. "Listen, Peter, I've always admired you and you're such a great guy that…"

"Ned, what is this about?"

"Oh, I get that, and I'm okay with it. You don't want to talk about your special abilities in front of other people. I respect that."

"Do you mean my special writing abilities?"

"Oh, Peter, you're hilarious. You know what abilities I'm talking about. Well, I have to get back to work." Ned left.

At lunch break, Peter raced over to George's Point. He looked at Liz. "Is Gwen here?"

"Why? Did psycho wrong love guy come back?"

"No." He looked at her. "Surely you've talked to Ned."

"Yes, I have."

Peter was shocked. "You didn't discourage him?"

"Well, I didn't encourage him, yet I certainly didn't discourage him, either. One, I think it's great. I don't like hiding secrets from Ned and you shouldn't be hiding secrets from Gwen. Plus, Peter, it's time to take the mask off. The public needs a hero who they can see, trust and believe in. With Spider-man, they almost have to rely on a cartoonish figure. With Peter Parker, well, everybody and anybody can rely on Peter Parker." She smiled at him. "I know that I certainly can rely on him. Don't get me wrong, the outfit was great, but…"

"Liz, I can't believe this!"

"Peter, don't go all Bruce Banner on me."

"Liz, do you remember Sally and Jason?"

"I would never forget Sally and Jason."

"Sally knew my secret and she died because of it. You know my secret and you've been a target of many schemes set by my enemies. If other people know my secret, they'll begin to worry about me. Also, you know how Gwen feels about Spider-man. If I tell her, she'll get the worst case of cold feet in bridal history. So, for the sake of the greater good, you have to discourage Ned! Otherwise, my friends will be at risk, both physically and emotionally." He paused. "I'm sorry that I blew up at you." He looked at her. "Whatever happened to Bruce and Betty, anyway?"

"Nobody knows. I guess that Beauty and the Beast are still on the run."

"That's too bad. They were brilliant scientists… and great friends."

"I miss them."

"I miss them, too."

"Peter, you're right, I never should've encouraged Ned on this chase. Now, there's only one way that we can stop him."

"What's that?"

"Trickery. Peter, do you know any big, tough guys?"

"There's some at the _Bugle_. Why?"

Later that day, Liz and Ned were walking home on the same sidewalk from the day before. "I'm really glad that you encouraged me to go to the movies, Liz. The movie we watched today was so much better than the one that Mary Jane, Peter and I watched."

"Yeah, this movie was really good. Is that man watching us?" The man slowly stepped towards them. Ned looked at him.

"Let me guess. You're not here because you like our personalities?"

"Where are your dollars?"

Suddenly, Peter came out of nowhere. "Hey, Liz and Ned, I saw you guys, and I wanted to walk with… you." Peter looked at the guy. He turned to Ned. "You know what, Ned? This time, I'm not going to run. It was cowardly of me. This time, I'm going to support you."

A figure came up from behind the guy. It was Spider-man. Spider-man motioned for them to run. When they were in another area, Ned turned to Peter. "Peter, I'm so sorry, I honestly thought you were…"

"Ned, it's okay. Many people think that just because I take Spider-man's picture that means that I am Spider-man. It's an occupational hazard, I guess." Peter left.

The next day, Ned went over to Liz's apartment. Liz walked down the stairs to see him. Ned looked at her. "Well, Liz, I had to do serious damage control."

"Damage control?"

"I had to stop the headlines that Jameson arranged that proclaimed Peter as Spider-man."

"Oh. How many times did he threaten to fire you?"

"He wouldn't stop until I threatened to quit. Then, he decided that he needed me. Can you believe that?"

"What can I say? J.J.J. will never change."

"I'm sorry that I put Peter through that."

"It's okay, Ned. He gets that a lot. I'm just grateful that you're okay." She hugged him. There was a knock on the door. "Oh, for only one moment of peace and quiet…" She opened up the door. Several men in business suits looked at her. "Liz Richardson?"

"Yes?"

"You're under arrest. We're with Warren." They took her. Ned watched them.

"Liz, I'm going to get you some help. I will head right over to the police department and then, I will head right over to George's Point."

"No, Ned! Don't start off with the police and Gwen! Get Peter!"

"Peter, why Peter!? He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Ned, he's Spider-man photographer, he can get Spider-man for us! Also, Peter handles things a lot better than Gwen does!" She sighed. "Ned, it's going to be okay. I'll see you again." One of the men looked at her.

"We'll see about that." And with that, Liz disappeared.

"Liz!" Ned took his cell phone and he dialed Peter's number.


	59. Travel Season

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Travel Season_

Mary Jane knocked on Liz's apartment door. Ned had called her, and Mary Jane was determined to help. However, the apartment was surrounded by Warren's men. So, she had disguised herself as a housekeeper. One of Warren's men answered the door. "Oh, you're just the housekeeper, huh? Listen, don't come back. Miss Richardson won't need your services any longer."

"Oh, but I must come in. You see, we had a contract and if she doesn't break that contract herself…"

"She already did."

"I must come in. The client has to break their own contract."

"Oh, fine."

She walked into the apartment. She noticed some papers with the name Warren on them. She turned around. Warren's men were guarding the door. She started to go through the papers. Suddenly, she was grabbed by the collar. "I'll show you the exit, Miss Watson. You see, Warren was never really that interested in any information you had, but he did list you as a potential threat. That's how I knew who you were."

"You don't get it. You have my best friend and I'm going to get her back."

"Miss Richardson isn't your problem any longer." The man closed the door.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter slowly walked into the abandoned warehouse. He wasn't in the Spider-man costume because he didn't want to alert Warren's men to his presence. He had claimed that he was just a curious onlooker who wanted to remember the better, more industrialized days of the warehouse. However, his thoughts were interrupted by something else. "Stay quiet, Peter." He turned around to see Mary Jane.

"Mary Jane? How did you get in here?"

"Actors have their ways. More importantly, how did you get in here?"

"Actors aren't the only people who can act. Is that…" He paused. "Is that a gun?"

"No, it's only something that really resembles a gun. Of course it's a gun!"

"Mary Jane, don't do anything you'll regret…"

"Look, Peter, they have my best friend. I'd do anything to get Liz back, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, but…" Peter looked alarmed. Warren's men were coming towards them. One of the men spoke into their cell phone.

"We've got them. They can't escape." Peter turned to Mary Jane.

"Run!"

Liz was slowly starting to wake up. She looked at one of Warren's men. "Didn't he get enough information from me the last couple of times? I mean, I've heard of picking someone's brain before, but this is absolutely ridiculous."

"You think you're funny, don't you?"

"I have been told that I'm too sarcastic before." She looked out the window. "They're here!" She beamed.

"Who's here?" The man raced over to the window. He turned around. Liz was gone. He raced out of the room. He quickly caught up with Liz. "You know, Miss Richardson, we don't deal too kindly with runaways here."

After evading their potential captors, Mary Jane and Peter were finally safe. Peter locked the door. Mary Jane looked at him. "You know, Peter, I feel like I can finally breathe again."

"Me too." Peter's phone started to ring. Mary Jane looked worried. Peter looked at his phone. "Don't worry, it's Gwen. However, I have to answer it." He paused. "Hello?"

"Peter, where are you? I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Uh, well, Gwen, I've been looking for Liz."

"Peter! Don't get too close to Warren or his men! I don't want you to lose you!"

"Gwen, you're not going to lose me… or Liz! Trust me! I'm not anywhere near Warren's men!"

Mary Jane heard some noise by the door. "Uh, Peter?"

"Peter, Mary Jane is with you," Gwen said.

"Gwen, is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing, it's just that I've never imagined Mary Jane as a crime fighter before."

The noise at the door was becoming more obvious. "Uh, Gwen, I have to go… now!" Peter hung up as the door broke down. He turned to Mary Jane. "Go!"

"No, Peter, I won't leave you."

"No, Mary Jane, it's not safe!" Suddenly, Peter started to fall. Mary Jane looked at him in horror. "Peter!"

Liz was being prepared for the next round of brain interrogation. She looked at Warren's men. "So, is this going to be twenty questions? I have to warn you, I'm not that smart on the Spider-man topic."

"You're way smarter than the others."

"Okay, just because I was a reporter once means that I know a little more about Spider-man than the average person. I'm not the expert."

"We'll see about that." The man attached connective strings from a big screen to Liz's head. "Don't worry, Miss Richardson, this will only take a second." He typed in the word "Spider-man." Suddenly, information began to appear. NAME: PETER PARKER. RELATIVES: BEN PARKER, MAY PARKER. GIRLFRIEND: GWEN STACY. FRIENDS: LIZ RICHARDSON, MARY JANE WATSON, NED LEEDS, HARRY OSBORN, NORMAN OSBORN, DR. CONNORS. More information flew up. When all of the information was done, the man turned to Liz Richardson. "Don't worry, Miss Richardson, we won't need you any longer." He started to leave the room. Liz stared at him.

"Don't hurt him!"

"I can make no guarantees about that, Miss Richardson." He looked at her in confusion as she looked at him. "What were we talking about? I don't remember…" He left the room in confusion. Suddenly, Ned came in.

"Ned! I'm so glad you're here! How did you find me?"

"We reporters have our ways." He started to untie her.

"Listen, Ned, we have to find Peter."

"What happened to Peter?"

"He's in danger if we don't find him."

Mary Jane was trying to help Peter. She looked up to see Ned and Liz coming towards her. On the verge of tears, she said, "Ned! Liz! Come quick!" Liz looked at Mary Jane.

"What happened?"

"They gave him some kind of sedative; however, he's struggling for breath."

Liz looked at Mary Jane. "We have to take him to Secret Hospital."

Mary Jane turned to Peter. "Peter, Peter, can you hear me?" He moaned slightly.

"Gwen… Gwen…"

Ned Leeds looked at Peter. "Isn't that typical Peter? Of all the people who are here, the poor guy asks for someone who isn't here." He smiled slightly.

Later, Dr. Connors went out to the waiting room where Peter, Ned, Liz and Mary Jane were. He looked at them. "Even though Peter had a close call, he's going to be okay. They sedated him with something that had deadly side effects."

Ned grinned at Liz. "I told you he'd make it. Peter always has been a trooper."

"I'm just so glad he's okay," Mary Jane said. She looked at Ned. "When is Gwen coming?"

"She's going to be here as soon as she can."

Mary Jane sighed a little bit. "That's good, because Peter needs her now." She started to leave. She turned back to them. "More than anybody." She left. Ned turned to Liz.

"Speaking of that, why don't we leave? The two lovebirds will need their privacy."

"That's a good idea. Let's go."

When they got to Liz's apartment, Liz turned to Ned. "I know what Mary Jane meant by what she said."

"I know too. She's in love with Peter."

Liz paused. "Really?"

Ned nodded. "It's obvious. However, don't tell Peter. It'll just make things awkward for both of them."

"Good idea. I'm definitely not going to ruin Gwen and Peter's wedding. Both of them are my best friends." She looked at Ned. "Do you know who I really needed today? I needed you, Ned. Every time, I always need you." She smiled at him.

"You know something, Liz? I know what you mean."


	60. Runaway

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Runaway_

Liz was going through all of the wedding invitation replies at George's Point. "Wow, Gwen, everybody wants to witness the marriage of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy." She walked towards her. "You even got a response from Norman and Harry, even though they're in England now." She looked at Gwen. "It says that they're doing a lot better and that they'll be back in plenty of time for your wedding." Liz looked down. "Wait a minute, with Norman…"

"Forget about Norman, Liz. Just don't talk to him at the wedding. You're my maid of honor and wedding guests are a distant second, trust me." The phone started to ring. "I'll answer that." Gwen walked over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Gwen Stacy, we are associated with Warren. Unless you leave your fiancé by tonight, he will be dead by tomorrow morning." _Click_.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Gwen hung up the phone. Liz noticed Gwen's worried facial expression. "Gwen, what's wrong? Who called?"

"Huh? Oh, that was a typical junk call. You know, this is your captain speaking. Uh, Liz, could you do me a really big favor?"

"What, Gwen?"

"I'm out of mailing envelopes. I was wondering if you could stop by the store and get some."

"Oh, sure. I'll be right back." Liz left. Gwen started to write.

_Dear Peter,_

_ For reasons I cannot explain in this letter, I have to leave you. This is one of the most difficult things that I ever had to do, and I can only hope that you will understand. I'm so sorry about the cancelled wedding. I also hope that one day; you can give up your Spider-man photography job. You deserve so much more than Spider-man and Jameson. You were my first and only love, but I have to leave. I'm sorry._

_ Love,_

_ Gwen_

Gwen read her letter. Then, she left.

Later, Liz came back to George's Point. She saw Gwen's note. Then, she raced over to Peter's apartment.

"Liz! This is a pleasant surprise!"

"I wish I could say the same."

"What?" She handed him the note.

"Here, read this."

"We have to stop her."

"Why did she get cold feet so suddenly?"

"I'll tell you why. Warren. He had his men threaten her. After all, he does know my identity now, right?"

"I'm so sorry, Peter. I couldn't control it."

"I don't blame you for this, Liz. I blame him!" Peter walked over to the window. "Whatever happened to his band of merry men, anyway?"

"They just left the building without anybody noticing. We were so concerned about you that we didn't even notice." She continued. "It was difficult for you, Peter, because you wanted to see Gwen, and Gwen wasn't there. She was at George's Point. When everybody got to the hospital, they left so that both of you could be alone."

"Thank you, Liz." Peter frowned. "Warren isn't the typical villain. He's going to be difficult to defeat."

"Oh, I'm sure that Spider-man will find a way." She smiled.

"It won't be that easy, Liz. Most villains just wear some ridiculous costume and they fight me. Warren has assistants, he knows my identity, and he's not just going after me. He's also going after my friends."

"He's trying to go after you by going after your friends, Peter."

"I'm not going to let that happen, Liz."

"Look, Peter, where would Gwen go?"

He thought for a second. Then, it came to him. "London."

"Why would she go to London?"

"Some of her relatives were there. She went there for solace after George died. Then, she came back when she discovered that she missed everybody back here. However, this time, she knows that she doesn't have a choice. Also, Harry and Norman are there, so she will have some friends…" He paused. "I'm sorry, Liz, the wedding is going to be so awkward for you."

"Well, unless you think that I have great chances of telling Norman Osborn that the wedding plan was just a result of some hypnotic spell, then this wedding is going to be awkward."

He paused. "Did Gwen talk to you at all about that subject?"

"She told me that her bridesmaid came first before any wedding guests."

"She's right, you know."

"Peter, I would never miss the marriage of my two best friends. Hold on, I thought Gwen cancelled the wedding plans."

"Liz, the wedding plans were never cancelled." Peter typed something into George's Point computer. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Unless you want to catch the red eye to London with me, we're going to stop her from boarding this flight." They left.

When they got to the airport, Gwen was relieved, yet startled to see them. "Peter! You came! No, listen, Peter, you can't be with me. You don't understand."

"I do understand, Gwen."

"You're in danger, Peter, if you're with me. You have to leave now!"

"Listen, Gwen, we have come through some tough situations before. Are we going to let Warren scare us off now?"

"One of Warren's men told me that you'd be…"

"Dead?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm used to the typical threats. Gwen, if I have to endure Warren, I don't want to endure him alone, I want to endure him with you."

"What if you…"

"If Warren really wanted to kill me, he'd kill me, with or without you. Don't let him scare you."

"Besides," Liz looked at both of them. "Gwen, you picked the wrong guy."

"What do you mean, Liz?"

"If you were going to pull this stunt, you should've picked someone who was willing to cancel wedding plans at the drop of a hat."

Gwen looked at both of them. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"Gwen, we never would've," Peter said. "C'mon, let's go."

Gwen was looking over some files at George's Point. "You know, Peter, I never should've left. I missed everybody too much the first time that I left. I should've learned my lesson."

"Yes, you should've. Promise me that you've learned your lesson this time."

Gwen laughed. "Trust me, I've learned my lesson."


	61. Extra Wheels

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Extra Wheels_

Gwen went over to Peter's apartment. "You know, Peter, what about taking another vacation? Today is Saturday, after all."

"That sounds great to me." The doorbell rang. "I'll be right back, Gwen." Peter walked over to the door. However, when he opened the door, he was definitely surprised.

"Hi, Pete. Listen, could you do me a really big favor?" It was Mary Jane.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Uh, hi, Mary Jane. What's up?"

"Well, I'm working for this new director…"

"Okay…"

"He wanted to see what my personal life was like. You know, what my friends are like, and how we interact. He said that it would add more depth to the character if he could incorporate some aspects of my personal life into the character's life."

"That's a weird way of revising a script." Peter paused. "Uh, don't you think that Ned and Liz would be a lot better for this type of project?"

"I decided to go to them first, but they weren't available today. They decided to take a vacation."

"Naturally," Peter uttered under his breath.

"What was that, Pete?"

"I mean, uh, we'd be delighted to help you, MJ." He turned to Gwen. "Wouldn't we, Gwen?"

"Oh, yes, definitely." Gwen sighed slightly.

They went to a local café. Peter looked at Mary Jane. "I assume that we're meeting your director friend here."

"Yes, he should be here at any moment. In fact, there he is now." Mary Jane waved him over. "Mr. Saroche, these are my friends, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy."

"Ah, yes, I've heard a lot about Miss Stacy." He looked at Gwen. "After enduring the terrible tragedy of your father's death, you had the strength to continue his legacy through George's Point."

"Well, at least that's how the newscasters put it," Gwen said.

"All of that courage must've required a little bit of acting. Pardon me for saying this, but I think that you would almost make a better actress than Mary Jane herself."

Mary Jane was beginning to feel awkward. "Uh, Mr. Saroche, this is my other friend, Peter Parker. He works for _The Daily Bugle_ and…"

Mr. Saroche leaned back in his chair. "Ah, so this is the famous Parker. Mary Jane has told me a lot about you. I know more about you than I know about Miss Stacy."

"I didn't mention Peter that much," Mary Jane said with embarrassment.

"Oh, Mary Jane, there's no reason to be embarrassed. After reading some of Parker's articles, I totally agree with your assessment that he's a brilliant reporter."

"Well, I must've tricked you most of the time then," Peter said.

"Parker, there was no trick. You're definitely what Mary Jane prepared me for."

"Check, please!" Everyone turned to see Mary Jane motion for the waiter. "I mean, uh, there are so many sights to see. Who would want to waste their time in a small, quaint, outdoor café like this?"

When Mary Jane went to pay the bill and Mr. Saroche went to the bathroom, Gwen and Peter started to talk. "Was it just me or was there something strange about that guy?"

"I think he chose the wrong occupation."

"What do you mean?"

"He should've been a car salesman. C'mon, Peter, that guy is an artist when it comes to flattery or trying to convince people of something. I guess that everybody in show business needs a little bit of that trait." She paused. "Mary Jane is like that sometimes."

"For Mary Jane, that's just an act, Gwen."

"You can never be too sure, Peter."

Peter frowned. He was about to say something, but he wasn't sure what he could say. At times, he wasn't entirely sure of Mary Jane, either. His thoughts were interrupted by Mary Jane coming back to the table. She looked at them. "Well, stop keeping me in suspense. What did you think of him?"

"Uh, he's fantastic," Gwen managed to say.

"He's a really nice guy," Peter managed to utter.

"Oh, that's great. I knew that you two would love him." Mary Jane smiled at them. "Oh, he's coming back now."

Mr. Saroche smiled at them. "I want to invite all of you over to my house."

"Oh, we wouldn't want to intrude," Peter said.

"Oh, no, no, no, it is no intrusion. I personally insist on it."

"Well," Peter looked at Gwen while he talked. "Why not?"

Peter, Gwen, Mary Jane and Mr. Saroche arrived at Mr. Saroche's house. Peter was amazed at the size of the house. It was even more amazing that it was just for one man. Mary Jane looked at Peter.

"He's very successful," she whispered to Peter.

"I've noticed," Peter whispered back.

"Uh, Mr. Saroche, I'm very sorry about this." Gwen looked at him. "Where is the bathroom? I should've gone at the café."

"You're fine, Gwen. It's on the third floor."

"Thank you." Gwen left.

"Why don't I show both of you the basement?" Mr. Saroche looked at them. "It's my favorite room of the house."

Peter looked at Mary Jane. "Why not?"

Gwen was walking back down the stairs. She was trying to find Peter, Mary Jane, and Mr. Saroche. She went over to the place where they were originally standing. Nobody was there. She heard sounds coming from the basement. She walked down the basement steps. What she saw appalled her. There was Mr. Laroche, with a knife in his hands, threatening Peter and Mary Jane. "Miss Watson, I'll get to your other friend later. I wanted to get Parker first because I know how you feel about him. _Everybody_ knows how you feel about him.

"You're insane," Mary Jane said while she stepped in front of Peter.

"At this point, you'll wish that I was. That way, nobody would believe your feelings about him."

Gwen quietly walked down the stairs. As long as she was behind Mr. Saroche, everything would be okay. Then, Gwen pushed him down the stairs. Since he was near the bottom step, he didn't have a long way to fall. When he landed by Peter and Mary Jane, Mary Jane looked at him. "Mr. Saroche, you're going to meet somebody else today. You're going to meet the police department."

Later that day, Peter and Gwen brought Mary Jane back to her apartment. Mary Jane was still apologizing. "I'm so sorry about what happened…"

"Mary Jane, you can stop apologizing. It wasn't your fault."

"Well, that's the end of that picture." She got out of the car. She looked at Peter. "Pete, you do know that he was insane, don't you?"

"MJ, he was definitely insane." He looked at her. "Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason, no reason at all." She went to her apartment.


	62. End of Vacation

**Chapter Eighteen**

_End of Vacation_

Peter went to George's Point. He wanted to talk to Gwen before they went to see the Osborns. Even though the family had a vacation, Peter wasn't sure about what he could say. Finally, Gwen spoke up. "Peter, just ask them about their vacation and tell them that you missed them. That's what I'm going to do. Anything else would be awkward."

"You're right. It's that simple."

"I feel sorry for Liz. Their return won't be easy for her." Suddenly, the phone rang. "I'll be back." Gwen picked up the phone. After the phone conversation, Gwen walked over to Peter. "Peter, we have to see the Osborns now."

"Why?" He looked at me. "Don't tell me…"

"When Harry came back, he got entangled somehow with the same guy. Well, it's definitely the end of their vacation."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter, Gwen, Mary Jane and Aunt May went over to the Osborn house. Norman answered the door. "Oh, Norman, I'm so sorry," Peter began.

"Peter, we should've stayed in London. I don't know why I brought him back here. Especially so soon after the other happened."

"Norman, this isn't your fault." Peter paused. "How is he?"

"He's not doing well. Neither am I."

Suddenly, Ned showed up. Peter looked at Ned. "Ned, what are you doing here?"

"Peter, Norman wanted me to come."

"I did, Peter. I must say that I was impressed so much by Ned's respect of privacy the first time that he came here that I wanted to invite him over this time." Norman paused. "Well, everybody, please come in." Gwen, Mary Jane and Aunt May came in. Peter and Ned stayed behind.

"Uh, we'll be right behind you," Peter called out. "I wanted to talk to Ned about something."

"Go ahead, Peter," Norman said. "Both of you can come into the house when you're ready."

"Thank you, Norman." Peter closed the door. He looked at Ned. "Why are you here exactly?"

"Peter, Norman needs somebody now."

"He has me. Besides, this is unfair to Liz. I'm assuming that Norman doesn't know that you're Liz's boyfriend."

"He has no idea. Liz doesn't blame Norman for being angry about her pulling the runaway bride routine on Harry. However, she knows that he won't buy the whole hypnotic thing, either.

"Why exactly does Norman want you here?"

"Peter, the first time I came, he was very impressed by me. We became good friends during that conversation. I respect him for everything that he was able to accomplish through his life. However, we're friends because of his great personality."

"Ned, he was ticked at Liz when she cancelled the wedding plans."

"Peter, put yourself in his shoes. Anybody would be ticked if they were in that situation."

"Ned, why did Liz run off?" Peter paused.

Ned sighed. "I don't know, exactly. When I helped Liz escape, she was hysterical. I had Dr. Connors erase all of the information from her."

"So, Dr. Connors knows the information?"

"He doesn't know. He has this patient confidentiality system where after the operation is done, he no longer has the information." Ned paused. "Well, I guess we better go in now." Peter stopped him.

"Ned, I really underestimated you when we first met and I'm sorry about that.

"No, I'm sorry that you almost fell for my little façade." He paused. "Do you know who else is great at pulling a façade?"

"No. Who?"

"Mary Jane."

Peter paused. "I never thought about that before, but you're actually right. She does pull a façade most of the time."

"Let's just say that MJ and I aren't the most trusting people in the world. We don't like to wear our emotions on our sleeves for strangers." He paused. "Sometimes, we don't even wear them for our friends."

They walked into the house. They walked up the stairs to Harry's room. Norman was sitting diligently by his son while Gwen, Mary Jane and Aunt May talked to him. Then, May began to try to solve the situation. "Norman, forgive me if I'm talking out of line, but have you ever considered getting Harry treatment?"

"Treatment? My son?"

"Well…" May was getting uneasy. "The problem isn't going away by itself, Norman."

"Norman," Mary Jane interjected, "there's this great program at Secret Hospital. It helps a lot of people and it could probably help Harry."

"MJ's right," Peter continued. "They have this great doctor and people say that she's one of the best.

"My son doesn't have a problem." Norman glared at them.

"Oh, no, Norman, that's not what we were trying to insinuate at all." Peter was getting uneasy now.

"Then, what were you trying to insinuate, Peter, huh!?" Norman looked at them. He turned back to Harry. With a weary look on his face, he said, "Miss Stacy, please show your friends out. Harry and I need to be alone today."

"Sure, Mr. Osborn." They left the room.

When they were out of the house, Peter turned to Gwen. "I never expected to see Norman like that. Suddenly, we went from being close friends to formal strangers at the best."

"I was out of line," May admitted. "I just wanted to help Harry and Norman. If Harry got help, then Norman would be helped because he wouldn't have to worry about Harry."

"Aunt May, it's not your fault." Peter frowned. "Harry isn't going to get any better if he's locked in that room." He paused. "Neither is Norman."

Harry looked at Norman. "Dad, dad…"

"I'm here, son. What is it?"

"You… you… need to relax. Go… go downstairs and get your favorite book."

"I'm not comfortable leaving you, Harry."

"It's just… just a short distance. I'll… I'll be fine. Go." He paused. "I… I… I want you to."

Norman thought for a second. "I'll be right back." He left the room. He walked down the stairs. Then, he went over to the bookcase. It used to be a mirror… but somehow the mirror was broken. Norman couldn't remember how the mirror was broken. He grabbed a book off the shelf. Suddenly, the shelf began to turn. The surprise of the shelf's movement made Norman gasp a little bit, but he controlled his response so that he wouldn't disturb Harry. With curiosity, he walked into his old lair.


	63. Stop the Presses

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Stop the Presses_

Norman grabbed the morning paper from the front porch. He wanted to get back to Harry's side as soon as possible. However, Harry had encouraged him to read the paper as something to relax by. However, Norman's slight period of relaxation ended when he saw the newspaper's headline. OSBORN SON: THE END OF A LEGACY. HARRY'S PROBLEMS SPELL FINANCIAL DOOM FOR NORMAN. Norman glared at the paper. He noticed the reporter's name. It was Olivia Maestel. He started to head for the newspaper office.

Meanwhile, at the office, Olivia was being congratulated for her work. "Olivia, your journalism skills today will earn you a pay raise." She smiled at her boss.

"Thank you."

"In fact, take the rest of the day off, you deserve it."

"Thank you so much." She walked up the stairs to her office. As she was getting ready to leave, she turned around. What she saw made her scream.

Later that day, OsCorp employee Jim Donafor was getting ready to leave. His fellow employee, Todd Sterling, started to talk to him. "You did a brave thing today, Jim."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing, just that whole going against your boss thing. I'm proud of you, Jim. Many people are tired of Norman Osborn's corporate butt."

"I don't like Osborn, either. Plus, I wanted to help Olivia Maestel out. After all, she is my son's fiancée."

"I'm going to get an invitation to the wedding, right?"

"Definitely."

"Olivia doesn't reveal her sources, does she?"

"No, she promised me that she never reveals her source. The only reason that I'm keeping this job is for the paycheck. I'm sure it's the same way with you." He looked at his panicked facial expression. "What's wrong?" He turned around to see what Todd was looking at. What Jim saw made him panic.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Mary Jane went over to Peter's apartment. Peter was looking at something very carefully. Mary Jane looked at him. "Are you still studying the way that they accidentally misspelled your name in the engagement announcements? Pewter Parker is engaged to Gwen Stacy."

"It's more serious than that, MJ." He paused. "Look." He pointed to an article on the front of _The Daily Bugle_. The article read: TWO OSCORP EMPLOYEES AND OSCORP STORY REPORTER DEAD. THIS IS THE END OF NORMAN OSBORN. Mary Jane continued to look at it. Then, she looked at Peter. "Personally, I think you should quit your job. They only write lies and they mock Spider-man."

"Ned threatens to quit every day."

"I can't say that I blame him."

"Oh, what's going to happen to Norman or to Harry because of this?" Peter groaned. "I know that Norman is innocent, but that's going to be impossible to prove."

"What about your fiancée at George's Point? George's Point helps the police with cases."

Peter thought for a second. "You're right. I have to see Gwen."

When Peter arrived at George's Point, Gwen wasn't there. He called her cell phone. "Hi, Gwen. Where are you?"

"I'm heading over to the Osborn house with the police."

"Wait a minute… you know what happened?"

"Of course I know what happened."

"You don't think that he's guilty… do you?"

"Of course not. I'm going to prove that he's innocent."

"I'll meet you there."

When Peter got to the house, the police, Gwen and Norman were sitting in the living room. The police wearily left Peter in on Gwen's approval. Norman looked at the police. "I have spent every waking moment of my time with my son. My son isn't doing well. I'm totally concerned about him. I haven't left the house! My son knows that I haven't left the house! He even told you that himself!"

"Very few sons would go against their fathers," the officer said with a stern face.

"Officer, I know that Norman isn't guilty. He's a successful, dedicated businessman who also dedicates himself to his son. I mean, look at his record. There's not even a parking ticket." Gwen was starting to get impatient.

"Miss Stacy, two OsCorp employees, along with the writer who wrote the story, were murdered. While Miss Maestel should've done the story with more tact, it shouldn't lead to murder. Mr. Osborn would have every motivation in the world to get rid of a reporter who badmouths his son and his company. Also, if the employees were badmouthing his company, he'd have reason to get rid of them."

"That is speculation."

"True, but at this point, it makes the most sense." He turned to Norman. "Norman Osborn, you are under…" Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Peter looked at the officer.

"Can I get the door," Peter asked.

"Only let them in if it's absolutely important."

Peter walked over to the door. He was surprised to see that Ned was there. Peter looked uneasy. "Ned, this isn't a good time to show up…"

"Peter, before you say anything, I know what happened, and I found the guy who did it. He's willing to turn himself in."

Peter never noticed the guy by Ned. He looked at him. "Who is he?"

"Peter, he's Clark Donafor. He is, or was, Jim Donafor's son and Olivia Maestel's fiancé. He wants to turn himself in because he's feeling guilty about what happened. He doesn't want the wrong guy being charged."

"Ned, I'm not sure about this…"

"Peter, I'm not going to let Mr. Osborn go down because of a crime he didn't commit."

"Please come in."

The men walked into the living room. Clark looked at the officer. He started to break down. "I did it! I'm responsible." The officer looked at Peter.

"Who is he?"

"Clark Donafor, the son of Jim Donafor. He's also Olivia Maestel's fiancé. He wants to turn himself in."

"All right." He walked over to Clark. "Clark Donafor, you are under…"

"I don't think he's guilty," Gwen uttered under her breath.

"What is it this time, Gwen," The officer said with annoyance.

"He's innocent! He's only confessing because he's grief filled over his fiancée and his father's death." She looked at the officer. "Listen to me! After George died, I didn't make the most rational decisions either."

"Moving temporarily to England is not the same thing as confessing to murder." He turned to Norman. "I'm sorry that I wasted so much of your time, Mr. Osborn. I hope that your son gets better."

"Thank you."

The officer started to move Clark towards the door. "Wait, stop," Gwen called out. She looked at the officer. "Did you ever deal with the death of a relative?"

"Several times, Miss Stacy." He looked at her. "And I never confessed to murder." They left. Peter looked at Gwen.

"C'mon, Gwen, let's go back to George's Point." Peter waved goodbye to Ned. He turned back to Gwen. "Now, Gwen, that guy was probably responsible for the deaths. I know how tragic losing someone is. When Uncle Ben died, I didn't know what I was going to do. It felt so strange and so devastating at the same time…" Peter continued to comfort Gwen. Norman watched them from Harry's window. _Gwen has always been so nice to me_, he thought to himself. _Why don't I offer her a job?_


	64. Absentminded

**Chapter Twenty**

_Absentminded _

Peter went over to see Gwen at her apartment. Gwen was surprised to see him. "Peter, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, I thought that we were going to work on seating arrangements for the wedding." He paused. "Am I right about that?"

"Huh? Yeah, you are right." Gwen looked uncomfortable. She turned around. "Hey, Peter, speaking of that, I haven't received an RSVP from Sally and Jason yet." Peter looked alarmed.

"Gwen, Sally and Jason… they passed away, remember? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm positive that I'm okay, Peter. Now, who are Sally and Jason exactly?"

"Gwen, I'm not sure about this."

Gwen looked at him with a slight look of annoyance. "Okay, fine. We'll skip Sally and Jason. Peter, is a Mary Jane Watson one of your relatives? She didn't turn in her RSVP yet."

"Gwen, you need to go the hospital."

"Peter, I'm fine. Uh, instead of wedding invitations, how about eating breakfast? I'm starving."

"Okay."

Gwen smiled at him. She started to walk towards the kitchen. Peter turned around to look at the wedding invitations. "Stop!" He turned around. Gwen was holding a knife. "What did you take from my apartment!?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Peter stared at her for a second. "Gwen, you need help. I'm going to take you to see Dr. Connors. Warren may have attacked again."

"First, I'm not going anywhere with you. Second, who are Dr. Connors and Warren?" She started to dial her phone. "I'm calling Liz Richardson. She works with me at a place called George's Point that helps the police. You definitely picked the wrong place to rob."

"Gwen!" Peter was desperately looking for something to prove who he was. He grabbed an engagement announcement. "Look! I'm your fiancé!"

Gwen paused. She put the phone down. She looked at the photo. "It looks like you are my fiancé, aren't you?" She paused again. She grabbed a tablet. "Uh, what's your name?"

"Gwen, my name is Peter!" She stared at him. "Uh, I mean that my name is Peter Parker."

"Okay, Peter Parker, tell me some facts about yourself."

"I work at _The Daily Bugle_ and I… I… need to see Liz."

"Okay, so you've already met Liz? How come I don't remember that?" Gwen looked puzzled. Peter left.

When Peter arrived at George's Point, Liz was concerned. "Peter, when Gwen takes a day off, usually she calls ahead to tell me that she's going to take a day off. I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"Liz, I think that Warren attacked again."

"Why?"

"Well, the Green Goblin has mysteriously gone off the radar screen and Warren seems to be my only main nemesis now. Also, my own fiancée can't even remember my name."

"That definitely sounds like more than just a really bad case of wedding jitters, Peter." Suddenly, Ned walked in. "Guess what, Ned? The bride-to-be can't remember the groom."

"What happened to Gwen? Is she okay?"

"She's having a severe case of amnesia."

"Liz," Peter interrupted them. "I have to go. I can't leave Gwen for too long in the state that she's in."

"Peter, please try to help her. If I lost Gwen…" Liz looked at him.

"I'm going to help her, Liz, no matter what it takes. She means the world to me." Peter left.

When he got to Gwen's apartment, Gwen was startled to see him. "Uh, hi, Peter." She quickly closed the door of the guest room.

"What's in that room?"

"Nothing." Peter frowned. He opened the door. Several digital profiles of people in Gwen's life were up on the wall. "Gwen, what is this?"

"Oh, it's just something to jog my memory. Every memory lapses sometime, right?" Gwen smiled at him. "Oh, while you're here, I had a question for you. You told me that you worked at a newspaper place, right? I put down that you worked at _The Daily Planet_. Is that right?" She looked at him.

"Gwen…" Peter paused. He handed her the engagement announcement. "Here, sit down and look at this until I get back. Study this."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back, I promise."

When Peter left, Gwen walked out to her porch. She noticed that there was a package.

At George's Point, Liz was trying to call Peter. Ned looked at her. "Any luck yet?"

"Nope. I'll try again." She paused. Someone was knocking on the door. "I'll answer that." She walked over to the door. An alarmed Gwen was waiting for her.

"Liz, please take this and hide it so that Peter doesn't see it!"

"Gwen, what is this?"

"Liz, it's…" Gwen looked at her. "I don't know you. I'm sorry. I must have the wrong address. Gwen left. Liz looked at the package.

Peter was about halfway to Secret Hospital when Liz called him. "Hey, Peter, did Gwen come back to you?"

"No… don't tell me she left."

"She was alarmed. She quickly left me with a package before she left. Then, she forgot me. Peter, the goblin's back."

"Liz, how can you be sure about that?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that Gwen received a Goblin outfit for herself."

"The Goblin's behind this." Peter arrived at the hospital. "Listen, Liz, I have to go. Call me if you get any more information."

Gwen was trying to figure out where to go. Finally, she decided to go over to the Osborn house. She didn't want to intrude on Harry's problem, but this was an emergency. Wait a minute, who was Harry? Or Norman for that matter? Gwen thought again. All she could remember was George's Point, her father's death, the Green Goblin, and most of all, Spider-man. She decided to go to George's Point.

When Peter and Dr. Connors got to Gwen's apartment, nobody was there. Dr. Connors looked at him. "Peter, as much as I want to help you, I do have other patients."

"She was here. I told her not to leave."

"This happens most of the time with amnesia cases. The affected people panic because strangers are claiming to know them. They tend to wander off in search of themselves or somebody who they can trust. The difficult part will be finding her." He started to leave. "If you ever do find her, bring her to me immediately." He left.

Gwen walked up the fire escape of George's Point. There was a small room up there that nobody knew about besides herself.

Out of desperation, Peter called Liz. "Liz, have you heard from Gwen?"

"Peter, she can't remember me or you. Why in the world would she call me or return to George's Point for that matter?"

"I don't know, Liz. I thought that maybe she would pick that as her refugee point."

"What are you going to do now?"

"What else is there to do? I'm going to take a ride through the city."

After swinging through the city as Spider-man, an exhausted Peter returned to his apartment.

"In all of the years I've known Peter, he has always been the greatest guy in my life." Peter looked up. He was at some fancy gala. When he looked at the speaker, he was surprised to see that Mary Jane was talking instead of Gwen. "Now, our city honors him as Spider-man." _Everybody knows my identity?_ Peter thought this to himself while he listened to Mary Jane speak. "My husband has started a great legacy." Mary Jane smiled at him. "Which is why I am honored to give Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-man this special reward today. She smiled at him again. She walked towards him. Suddenly, a painful expression came across her face. Peter noticed that there was blood coming from her dress. The audience gasped. As she fell down, the figure behind her removed their spear. Then, they removed their mask. To Peter's shock and horror, it was Gwen.

"Peter, I never thought that you were the one who killed my father. Unfortunately…" Gwen stepped around Mary Jane's dead body. "Unfortunately, Miss Watson made the mistake that I was determined never to make, which was marrying you. It's too bad that she had to pay for what you did." She started to raise her spear. "An eye for an eye, isn't it?"

Peter woke up. As Spider-man, he raced over to George's Point. Ned and Liz had already left by this hour, and Gwen was the only one there. When Gwen saw him, she pulled out a gun. "I'm calling the police." Using a web, Peter whisked the gun away from her. Then, he sedated her.

When Peter arrived at Secret Hospital with the sedated Gwen, Dr. Connors was shocked to see him. "Peter, I never thought that you would find her."

"We reporters have our ways."

"I have a new room to show you." They walked into a room that looked like it had been attacked by a huge snow and ice pile.

"It's freezing in here."

"Gwen can't feel this. We can." He handed him a coat. "Here, put this on." He pointed to a table-like snow fixture. "Put Gwen on this."

"Dr. Connors, what is with the new room?"

"It sedates the victims."

"Why does the hospital have it?"

"Well, it seems to be more relaxing for the doctors." He looked at him. "Do you want the honest truth?"

"Yes."

"It's cheaper."

"Naturally."

"Here, put these white wires on her head. Then, work with that machine over there." He pointed. "It will tell you what to do." He left.

Peter looked at Gwen. "I hope this works. I don't know what my life would be like without you. However, you already suffered enough because of my secret. Who am I to deny trying any form of treatment?"

The next day, Liz and Ned went to visit Gwen and Peter at Gwen's apartment. Ned looked at Peter. "So, I assume that trying to arrange seating arrangements for a wedding is much more complicated than what you've just been through?"

"Not exactly."

"Peter, it is more complicated," Gwen said. She smiled at him.

"That's only because you don't remember it."

"Well, I'm glad that you're okay, Gwen," Liz said. Liz smiled at Gwen.

"Everybody says that they don't know what they'd do without me," Gwen responded.

"I definitely don't. How in the world would I be able to arrange seating arrangements without you without going crazy?"


	65. Father and Son

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_Father and Son_

Gwen looked at Peter. Both of them were at George's Point and they were going through old files. "Hey, speaking of the Osborns…"

"I wasn't speaking about the Osborns."

"Well, Norman called, and I told him that we'd go over sometime today."

"That's the fiftieth time he called." Peter looked at Gwen. "At least the fiftieth."

"Peter, I could use a break from them too, but Norman needs the emotional support."

"Gwen, I'm worried about Norman. He's not doing well this time."

"Peter, he'll be the same Norman once all of this is over. I know he will."

"What if he's not?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Gwen, Mary Jane and Peter went over to the Osborn house. "Thanks for inviting me with you, Pete," Mary Jane said. Peter looked at her.

"You're welcome. I just wish that I could have invited Liz also."

"Well, under the circumstances, the last thing Norman needs to see is the woman that he believes dumped his son on purpose on his son's wedding day," Gwen said.

They walked up to the door. Norman answered it. He wasn't as grateful to see them this time around. "Oh, it's you. Well, uh, please come in."

They walked up to Harry's room. While they were walking, Peter noticed that a chandelier was becoming unhooked. It started to fall while Gwen was walking under it. Peter pushed her out of the way. Norman looked at the situation. "Peter, I never realized that you had a quick reaction time."

"You have no idea, Norman," Peter answered. They arrived at Harry's room. Before he opened the door, Norman looked at Gwen, Mary Jane and Peter. "My son is resting, so please keep the conversation down to a minimum."

"Mr. Osborn…" Peter paused. "We'd never try to disturb your son…"

"Shut up, Peter!" Norman looked at him. "I'm so sorry; it's just been such a stressful time…"

"That's okay, Norman."

Mary Jane looked at Harry. She turned to Peter. "Peter, Harry looks worse. He's not doing well."

"Mary Jane, not now…"

"No, Peter, don't stop her. What do you have to say, Miss Watson? What's your opinion on this?" Norman looked at her.

"Mr. Osborn… Norman…" Her necklace was almost choking her. "Harry needs help!"

"I beg your pardon!?"

Mary Jane sighed. "I know that you're trying to protect your son, but you're actually hurting him instead! Can't you see that? He needs to go to Secret Hospital! They will make him well! They will help him!"

"Miss Stacy!" Norman almost yelled. "Please show Miss Watson the door."

Gwen led Mary Jane out of the room. Norman looked at Peter. "I'm sorry, Peter. It's just…"

"That's okay. Mary Jane tends to be a little bit out of the line most of the time."

Norman turned back to Harry. "So, that guy who murdered Miss Maestel and my two former employees got the death penalty, huh, Parker? I'm not surprised."

"Norman, he wasn't guilty. He confessed to something he didn't do because he was grieving."

Norman turned to him. "Peter, in this world, you can never tell who the guilty and the innocent really are." He paused.

"You're still mad about the article, aren't you?"

"Peter, put yourself in my shoes! You would be angry if that happened to you! I worked too hard for this business for you to come in with your love makes the world go round philosophy!" He looked at him angrily. Suddenly, Gwen came back in. Norman looked at her. "Miss Stacy, please show Parker out."

"That's okay, Gwen." Peter looked at her. "Stay with Harry for a few minutes. Mary Jane and I will be waiting outside." He closed the door. Gwen looked at Norman.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, I blew up at Peter. He didn't think that the Maestel murderer was guilty and he was shocked that I was still angry over the article."

"Norman, in Mary Jane's defense, Peter does need help. I know you. You want Harry to thrive and survive. He can do that if he goes to Secret Hospital for some help. In Peter's defense, I also sincerely doubt that the Maestel murderer was guilty. People do weird things when they're grieving. Trust me. I know from experience. On the newspaper thing, editors love getting bizarre and scandalous stories. Liz quit _The Daily Bugle_ because…" Gwen paused. She knew that she had said the wrong thing.

"Liz Richardson…" Norman paused. "She's back, isn't she?"

Gwen paused. "Norman…"

"You should've told me! I can't believe this! You're just like Peter and Mary Jane!"

"There's nothing wrong about that. Look, Liz had a good reason for dumping Harry! Both of them were hypnotized into being in love by some crazy guy."

"Don't lie to me," Norman screamed at her. He turned around to look at Harry. "Goodbye, Miss Stacy." Gwen left.

There was a knock at the door. Norman went over to the door. "I told you to leave!" He opened the door. Ned was standing there.

"Well, Mr. Osborn, I take it you're not having a great day."

"Ned, I'm sorry. Please, come in." They walked into the house. Ned looked at Norman. "So, do you want to talk about your day?"

"Oh, Mary Jane, Peter and Gwen came to visit Harry and I blew up at them. Mary Jane insisted that Harry needed help, Peter insisted that the Maestel murder was innocent and that Harry needed help, and then Gwen agreed with Peter, stating that the guy was innocent, and then she accidentally revealed that Liz came back."

"I understand, Norman."

"What?"

"Harry is your son. Peter, Gwen and Mary Jane should've respected those boundaries, no matter what their opinion was. I would've been ticked at Maestel and my employees if they did that to me. I mean, who wouldn't be? As for Liz, Gwen should've been more considerate about what she said before she said it."

Norman smiled at him. "Thank you, Ned. You've made me feel a lot better."

"You're welcome." Ned looked at his watch. "Well, unfortunately, Norman, I have to leave now. Duty always calls when your boss gives you a very short lunch break."

"I respect that. You're dedicated to your job. How can I, Norman Osborn, business entrepreneur, not respect that?"

"Thank you, Norman."

"No. Thank you. You were there when I needed somebody to understand."

"Sure. Well, Norman, I'll see you later." Ned left.

Mary Jane looked at Peter as she, Peter and Gwen were walking home. "Well, that was…"

"Interesting, to say the least," Peter said.

"I don't understand Norman," Gwen said. "We're trying to help him and his son. Yet, we're treated like criminals."

"That happens to a lot of people, Gwen. Spider-man is an example of this. He saves the city and then…"

"Mary Jane…" Gwen was starting to get frustrated.

"Uh…" Peter interceded. "We'll see you later, Mary Jane."

The necklace was starting to choke her. "Peter, can I talk to you?"

"Uh… talk to me at the rehearsal dinner. You'll be at the rehearsal dinner, won't you?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said wearily. Peter smiled at her. Then, he and Gwen left.

At the rehearsal dinner, Mary Jane walked over to Peter and Gwen's table. "Peter, I have something to tell you. I can't attend your wedding."

"Why not?"

"I'm busy."

"Mary Jane, please attend our wedding," Gwen said. "Trust me, you won't be out of place." Gwen paused. "Is this about our little fight earlier?"

"Not exactly."

"Mary Jane, I need my bridesmaid. Don't you want to attend the wedding?"

"I…" The necklace was almost choking Mary Jane. "You're right, I can't miss it.

"I knew that you would change your mind." Gwen smiled at Mary Jane. Mary Jane left.

On that night, Peter, as Spider-man, went over to the Osborn house. He climbed the walls up to Harry's bedroom. He looked in the window. Harry was sleeping and Norman wasn't in the room. Using a web, Peter gently opened the window. He sedated the sleeping Harry. He put Harry's arms around his neck and he left with Harry.

At Secret Hospital, Dr. Connors was working late. "Wow. I'd never thought that I would meet two famous people," he said while looking at Spider-man and Harry. "Especially when one of them was unconscious."

"My photographer, Peter Parker, recommended you. My friend needs help."

"I read the article about Harry Osborn. I assume that he would also need a fake name if he's going to stay here? How does James Hathaway sound?"

"That sounds great."

"Okay, then. Put James on this gurney and I'll take him to see Dr. Benzrom."

"Oh, there's one more thing. A Norman Osborn can't know about this. He's uncomfortable with Harry getting help."

"First, Spidey, health of patients comes first. Second, why in the world would Norman Osborn know a James Hathaway?" He smiled at him.

"Thank you, Dr. Connors." Peter, as Spider-man, left.


	66. The Bride's Veil

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_The Bride's Veil_

Mary Jane sighed to herself as she looked around. Sure, Peter and Gwen had picked a really nice place to hold a wedding, but this was going to be an extremely difficult day for her. She looked at all of the engagement announcements that littered the table. She was in one of the preparation rooms. This one was more for the wedding fanfare. She had walked up here to record her wedding testimonial for the bride and groom. She sat down in front of the video camera. She clicked record. "Hi, Gwen and Peter." She paused. The necklace had become more unbearable over time, but today, it was almost impossible to take. "Uh, have a great day." She turned off the camera. She started to walk back down the steps, but she accidentally bumped the candle on the table. The flames started to spread on one of the engagement announcements. Mary Jane quickly threw a used glass of water on the announcement. When the flames disappeared, Mary Jane picked up the card. She looked at it. Peter's smiling picture was still there, but Gwen's picture had been burned off.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Earlier that day…

Mary Jane was walking around the place where the wedding was going to be held. She was trying to avoid talking to anybody out of fear of saying the wrong thing. Then, Ned saw her. "MJ, could you please give Peter his suit?" He handed the suit to her.

"Of course, Leeds."

"Oh, I forgot who I was talking to. Miss Commitment Phobic."

"I'm not commitment phobic." Mary Jane started to walk away.

"MJ, we're alike in many ways. If I were in your shoes, I would've had trouble with this wedding also."

"Why?"

"We don't like showing how we really feel."

"You know…"

"C'mon, MJ, it's obvious to everybody expect for Gwen and Peter, of course."

"Can we keep it that way?"

"Sure. Well, I have to prepare for the wedding myself." Ned walked away.

Gwen was in the other preparation room. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Gwen said. It was Peter. "Peter, don't you know that it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding? Especially when she's in her wedding dress?"

"Gwen, with us, there's no need to follow stupid superstitions. I love you."

"I love you too." They kissed. There was another knock on the door. "Come in." It was Mary Jane.

"Wow, Parker, are you trying to jinx your own wedding? When it comes to you, nothing surprises me."

"MJ, with our love, no superstition is going to ruin that."

Mary Jane looked at him for a moment with admiration. However, her expression quickly changed. "Uh, Ned wanted me to give you this suit. You need to get dressed for the wedding." Peter walked towards her. He took the suit.

"You need to get dressed, too."

"I'll be right there."

Peter left. Gwen hugged Mary Jane. "I'm so grateful you're here. Without you, this wedding would've been..."

"Worse than the wedding where the bridal party almost killed each other?"

"Exactly. What you did for me was absolutely amazing. I'm so glad that you changed your mind about today."

"Well, when you have a nonrefundable dress…"

"Liz!" Gwen broke away from Mary Jane. She hugged Liz. "I'm so glad you're here!" She looked at her. "You were… and you will always be my best friend."

"Gwen, you were always my best friend too. Do you remember that best friend charm I got?"

"It's right here." Gwen pointed to it. It was in her flower bouquet.

Mary Jane looked at Liz. Mary Jane had always considered Liz to be her best friend, but she now knew that she had no chance of being Liz's best friend. She left them quietly.

"Where is Peter," Liz said.

"Oh, he's probably in the fanfare preparation room," Gwen answered.

"I'm going to congratulate him," Liz said. She left. Gwen smiled while she looked at her bouquet.

Peter was adjusting his bow tie in the mirror of the fanfare preparation room when Liz walked in. "Peter… I'm so happy for you." He turned around to look at her.

"I feel like I'm the luckiest man alive."

"Well, you probably won't feel so lucky after what I'm going to say, but I have to say it."

"Okay."

Liz sighed. "You have to tell Gwen that you're Spider-man. Married couples shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"Liz, you were always my best friend."

"You and Gwen were always my best friends," Liz answered. "Peter, you have to tell Gwen. Otherwise, she'll probably suspect that you're having an affair. Also, if she accidentally finds out, it will hurt a lot more than if you just tell her. I would never forgive you if I found out accidentally that you never told me."

"Liz, please give Gwen a wedding gift for me. I'm not going to tell her and I don't want you to, either. Gwen and I have looked forward to this day for months, years, even, and I don't want to ruin this day for her. Plus, ever since you found out about my identity, Warren has attacked you relentlessly. Also, Gwen has blamed Spider-man for her father's murder all this time. It's going to take her some time to recover from that. Finally, you've worried about me too much since you found out. I don't want to put the same amount of worry on her. This is supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Please do not make this one of the saddest days of her life."

"You're right, Peter." She paused. "I wasn't thinking clearly and… I shouldn't have…"

"Liz, it's okay. I understand."

Liz smiled at him. "I'm going to go find Ned." She left.

Peter started to adjust his bow tie again when somebody else came up. "Oh, Peter, you're up here. Uh, I can come back some other time."

"No, that's okay, Mary Jane. Hey, could you do me a big favor?"

"That depends. What is it?"

"Could you adjust my bow tie? I can't seem to get it straight."

"Sure." She walked over to him. "Are you sure you're doing the right thing," she blurted out.

"MJ, I'm sure. Someday, you'll be sure. It's difficult to describe. When I first saw Gwen, I knew that we were meant to be together." He looked at her. "That sounded cheesy, didn't it?"

"No, no it didn't. Trust me on that." She looked at him.

"Well, I'd better be doing the wedding party search right now."

"Yeah, I, uh, need to record my testimonial."

Mary Jane stared at the engagement announcement. "Hey, Mary Jane, are you done?"

"Uh, yes, Peter, I'm done."

"Good! Everybody else is ready to go."

"I, uh, I'll be right there." She quickly tore up the engagement announcement. Then, she threw it in the trash can.

It was time for the wedding. Mary Jane went first. Originally, she was supposed to be walking with Harry, but because of Harry's problems, she walked alone. Then, Peter and Liz followed. Finally, Ned and Gwen walked down the steps. After they arrived at the front of the room, the minister began. Mary Jane was trying to control the necklace when the minister said, "Does anybody have any objection to these two people marrying?" The necklace was choking her. She struggled to maintain her breath and her words, but somehow, she did. "We are gathered here to celebrate…" Mary Jane frowned. The necklace kept becoming tighter throughout the day. Finally, after Gwen and Peter read their own vows, and after all of the other parts of the ceremony were done, the minister said, "You may kiss the bride." Peter and Gwen kissed amongst an outburst of applause. Meanwhile, Mary Jane was desperately trying to figure out how to get rid of the necklace.

At the Osborn house, Norman woke up from a long sleep. He hadn't slept in days. Annoyed with himself, he started to call out Harry's name. "Harry! Harry! Are you okay?" There was no answer. Norman started to walk to Harry's room. "Harry, I know that you insisted that I should get some sleep yesterday, but that was the last time, okay? I'm worried about you. Harry?" He opened the door. Nobody was in there. Devastated, he walked over to the window. He noticed something that appeared to be a spider web strand, only it was much bigger than the traditional spider web strand. Suddenly, everything hit him. He thought about Peter saving Gwen from the chandelier, he thought about his amnesia day, Harry's problems and finally, he remembered who was behind the mask. When his world seemed to stop spinning, Norman looked down. There was Gwen and Peter's engagement announcement on Harry's dresser. "Love makes his world go round, huh," he said to himself. He smiled.

At the wedding reception, Gwen and Peter kissed while they were dancing. Gwen smiled at Peter. "Do you know one of the things I love the most about you, Peter?"

"What, Gwen?"

"There's absolutely no secrecy with you. You're like an open book." She smiled at him.

Mary Jane was standing in a corner. She was frowning about the necklace. Ned walked over to her. "You know, Mary Jane, I do respect you for showing up today. I know that took a lot of courage."

"You said that already."

"Under different circumstances, you and Peter would've ended up together. I know you would've." He smiled at her. "Well, I'm going to find Liz."

Ned walked over to Liz. "Liz, would you mind going outside with me?"

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"On the roof."

"On the roof?"

"Don't worry, Liz, it's not your traditional roof. Just walk up those steps…" He pointed to a staircase. "And you'll be on the roof."

"Well, let's go, then!"

Gwen and Peter were dancing when one of the wedding guests walked up to them. "Hey, Gwen, can I see your bouquet?"

"Sure, Mari, just let me walk up to the wedding fanfare room, and I'll get it." Gwen looked at Peter. "While I'm doing that, why don't you dance with Mary Jane? Mary Jane?" Gwen called Mary Jane over. "I need to leave Peter for a little while. Would you mind dancing with him while I'm gone?"

"Gwen, my feet are tired and…"

"Oh, c'mon, Mary Jane, it will be fun." Gwen left. As she was walking up the stairs, one of the wedding guests looked at her. "You left your groom with Mary Jane Watson? That's a bad idea."

"Please, Michael, they can barely stand each other." Gwen continued to walk up the stairs.

Mary Jane looked at Peter as they danced. "Well…"

"That went well, didn't it?" He looked at her necklace. "You must really love that necklace. You wear it all the time. Either that, or you're being forced to wear it."

"Yeah, something like that."

Liz and Ned walked onto the roof. Liz looked at him. "Okay, what is this about?"

"Liz, you'll probably have a bunch of reasons to tell me no, but, just listen to me, okay?"

"I'll try. What is it?"

"Will you marry me?"

Gwen walked into the fanfare preparation room. She retrieved her bouquet. Then, she saw all of the engagement announcements. She smiled. Then, she looked at the American flag made out of pieces of wood that she made for George when she was a kid. She took it off the wall. She smiled at it.

"Ned…"

"Now, Liz, just hear me out on this, okay?"

Mary Jane started to gasp. Peter looked at her. "Mary Jane, are you okay?"

"Peter… Peter… I know that you're Spider-man, and I love you, Peter." She kissed him. The necklace came off. It dropped to the ground. Peter immediately left her.

Liz looked at Ned. "Ned, you didn't leave me finish. Yes, I'll marry you, definitely. I couldn't have imagined going through half the stuff I went through without you by my side. I love you. And…" She smiled. "This time, it's not a hypnotic trick." They kissed.

Mary Jane went after Peter. He was at the reception food table. "Peter, wait I can explain!"

"Mary Jane, I tried to be reasonable the first time I met you. Now, all of those negative stereotypes that I was thinking originally have proven themselves to be true!"

"Peter, I couldn't control it! This crazy fan gave me this weird ring that made me tell the truth!"

"I don't believe you."

"You trusted me before. We've gone through some bizarre things together."

"For the last time, I might add."

"Peter, I wished I would've told you before the…" Suddenly, the roof caved in. Ned and Liz fell down the roof as it collapsed to the ground. Mary Jane was trapped between the collapsed roof and the wall. "Peter, help me!"

"Help yourself!" He walked over to Liz and Ned. "Are you okay?"

"Peter…" Liz stopped. The goblin's familiar laugh was going through the air. Peter turned around. The goblin was carrying Gwen. Suddenly, the Goblin left.

"Liz… I have to go!" Peter left as Liz helped Mary Jane.

Once he was out of sight, Peter quickly changed into the Spider-man outfit. His spider sense was directing him towards the Brooklyn Bridge. When he arrived at the Brooklyn Bridge, Gwen was lying on the bridge. The Goblin looked at him. "They say love is like a rose. Well, Spider-man, your rose is going to get some more thorns." The Goblin pushed Gwen off. Then, he sprayed him with something. Peter desperately tried to see, however, the spray was making it difficult. Finally, he was able to see. He swung a web strand towards Gwen. It caught her. Peter started to pull her up. The Goblin had sedated her, so Peter gave her an anti-sedative as he pulled her up.

"Miss Stacy, you're okay. You can return to your wedding." There was no answer. "Gwen, you can return to your wedding." There was no answer. "Gwen, it's me. It's Peter." There was still no answer. Then, Ned and Liz came. Ned looked at him.

"How is she, Spider-man? We're her friends and…" Finally, Peter could see Gwen. He pulled her up onto the bridge. However, when they saw her, they were devastated.

"Only fools believe in romance!" The Goblin's laugh was heard in the background before he went away. Liz looked at Spider-man.

"I'm so sorry," Liz said as tears streamed down her face. She turned to Ned. "She was my best friend." Ned hugged her while Spider-man swung away. Then, the police arrived with a gurney.

Minutes later, Ned and Liz went back to the reception room. Mary Jane looked at them. "Well, what happened? Where are Gwen and Peter?"

"Mary Jane," Ned began sadly.

"Gwendolyn Stacy inspired her legacy during her short life," the minister began. Gwen was in her wedding dress in the casket. Liz had insisted that Gwen be buried in the thing that she wore on the happiest day of her life. Mary Jane looked at the dress. It was a sleeveless dress and the straps were made to look like interwoven white bows. Then, Mary Jane looked at Liz as Liz tearfully put a photo negative onto the casket. Then, Mary Jane tried to find Peter. He was standing in another corner by himself, not even facing the funeral.

After the funeral, Mary Jane walked over to Liz. "Liz, I'm so sorry…" Liz walked away from her. Mary Jane looked at her. She knew what had happened at the wedding. Liz was walking over to Peter.

When Liz caught up to Peter, Peter looked at her. "Do you remember that day you told me about?"

"What day?"

"That day when I should stop being Spider-man? It has come."

"Peter, no, don't… I was never serious," Liz said as her eyes watered.

"If I can't save the most important person in my life, than I can't save anybody." Tears streamed down his face as he walked away from her.

The next day, Mary Jane was getting ready to board her plane. She tried to call Peter. When she tried to call him, a message came up on her phone: CALL BLOCKED. She looked sorrowfully into the distance.

Peter walked over to the trash can outside of his apartment. He dumped the Spider-man outfit in it.

In a mysterious lair, a man came up to his boss. "Okay, the P. Parker file is done."

"Thanks. Could you please give me the G. Stacy file?"

"Sure, Warren." He started to leave.

"Oh, one more thing."

"What is it, Warren?"

"Please call me Miles." He smiled at him.

A man walked by Peter Parker's trash can. He opened the lid. Then, he pulled out his wallet. Inscribed on the wallet was the name "Ben Reilly." He pulled out a picture of Mary Jane. He looked at it. Then, he pulled the Spider-man suit out of the trash.

Ned was trying to walk through the messy reception hall. As his foot kicked a plastic cup, he looked around for Liz. "Liz?"

"I'm up here."

Ned walked up to the fanfare preparation room. Liz was rubbing a piece of ribbon from the wedding. She looked at Ned. "Why did this have to happen? It was supposed to be the happiest day of their life." She got up. Ned hugged her.

"Everything will work out, Liz. You have to trust me on that."

"Ned, I trust you, however, I will always miss Gwen." She looked at him sadly.


	67. New in Town

**Chapter One**

_New in Town_

"Surely you've been thinking about me a lot," he said to her. There was no response. "Uh, otherwise, you wouldn't have tried to disguise yourself and sneak into town." There was still no response.

"Mary Jane! Mary Jane?"

"Huh?" She looked at her director.

"I didn't hire you to ignore your love interest in the film!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about a lot of stuff lately."

The director sighed. "Okay, let's try it again."

Peter was at home. He clicked on the website for George's Point. A video started to play. "Hi, my name is Liz Richardson. Police captain George Stacy established a legacy. After George died, his daughter Gwen had the strength to continue his legacy. George and Gwen, especially Gwen, were great friends of mine. That is why my fiancé, Ned Leeds, and I are determined to carry through their legacy. As president, Ned will preserve our community and he will fight for justice. I will be by his side as vice president. Also, there's going to be a new addition to George's Point. I will be writing a weekly blog updating everybody on the happenings of George's Point." Liz's face dropped for a second. She tried to force a smile. "I am confident that George's Point will survive and thrive after these tragedies. The video ended. There was a knock on the door. Wearily, Peter went over to answer the door.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Peter," a dark-haired woman said. A dark-haired man was standing next to her. "We're so sorry about your loss." She paused. "Peter, we're your parents."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Mary Jane was still struggling to act out the part. "I've always loved you," her fellow actor said to her as he was walking towards her on the balcony. "I couldn't imagine what my life would be without you, Kate."

"I couldn't imagine what my life would be without…"

"Remember me, Miss Watson?" Mary Jane turned around to see the deranged fan. "Spider-man never found me that day. I managed to escape." He pushed the balcony. The balcony started to fall. Mary Jane looked at the director.

"I thought you said that the balcony was made out of the highest quality material."

"Well, I had to cut corners. You have your harness on."

"What harness…" She started to scream. The director looked at the other actor.

"Can you catch her?"

The actor tried. "I can't. She's too far away."

The balcony ripped through the set. Suddenly, something flew through the air. It caught Mary Jane and it whisked her down to the ground. She looked at him. It was Spider-man. She was relieved. "I knew you'd come back! I knew that you didn't want to quit!" He said nothing. The director got up with them.

"Wow that was incredible! Are you sure that you don't want a role in this movie?" Spider-man swung off.

Liz was getting impatient while she was waiting for Ned. Finally, Ned came in. Liz looked annoyed. "Ned, they need both of us for eyewitness testimony. Why were you late?"

"You know how much I love traffic."

"Stop being funny! We helped catch this guy! We don't need you to be late!"

"Don't worry, Liz. Once I'm done with him, he'll never see the time of day."

After her acting job was done, Mary Jane started to race over to Peter's house. She wanted to see him personally.

After their day was done, Ned and Liz were walking together. "I do have to admit that you did impress me, Ned Leeds."

"Impressing you is all that matters, isn't it?"

"Very funny."

"Liz, I have to meet the mayor for a quick meeting."

She smiled at him. "Try to be a good representation of George's Point. Anyway, I'm going to see Peter."

"I'll try, but, you know how difficult it is for me to be a good representation of something."

Liz and Mary Jane arrived at Peter's apartment at the same time. Liz looked at Mary Jane. "Mary Jane, I want to talk to you about something. Would you mind sitting with me on that bench?" They walked over to the bench. "I know that you loved Peter, but what you did on the wedding day was wrong."

"Liz, it was a result…"

"It's okay, Mary Jane, you don't have to lie to me. It's just that Peter blocked your calls and he doesn't want to see you right now. Try to understand that."

"He saved me, Liz. I wanted to thank him."

"He gave up being Spider-man, Mary Jane."

"No he didn't, Liz."

Liz looked at Mary Jane. "Trust me, Mary Jane; the person that he needs to save now is himself." Liz looked at her. "You'll find somebody, Mary Jane, that one day, completely understands you. I know you will." Liz left.

When Liz walked into the household, she was surprised to see people with Peter. His parents got up. "Oh, Liz, we've heard a lot about you! We're Peter's parents!"

"Well, I heard that you died. What took you so long to come back?"

Peter's dad looked at his wife. "She's funny, isn't she?"

"You're exactly like Peter said you were."

"Could you give me a strand of your hair?"

"What?" Peter's mom looked at Peter's dad. "Oh, Liz, you don't trust us, do you?"

"Just give me a hair sample."

"If you insist."

When Liz had the hair sample, she went to the local asylum. She knocked on the door. Nobody answered. She tried the knob, and the door opened. While walking into the asylum, she noticed the front desk. Nobody was at the front desk; however, there was a name plate that read "John Jameson." She noticed something on his desk that would instantly identify DNA. She decided to put the hair pieces under it. When the test was done, two names came up. The names were RICHARD PARKER and MARY PARKER. Liz frowned at the results. They were Peter's real parents, however, they just acted so weird… She walked onto the back patio. She was about to leave when she heard a voice. "Freeze! Miss Richardson, you're under arrest! You have the right to remain silent and… you have the right to tell me why in the world you were in my office." She turned around.

"Jameson."

"Richardson."

"I've heard a lot about you."

"I have to say the same about you."

"After that little wedding publicity stunt with Mary Jane, you went off the radar screen."

"You're the vice president of George's Point and you break into places."

"Technically speaking, of course. Who leaves the door open of an asylum?"

"I was just outside. Besides, it's impossible for the criminals to escape."

"How does an astronaut become an asylum owner?"

"I wanted to protect the public. Same reason why you, a newspaper reporter, became vice president of George's Point, I'm guessing."

"Exactly. I'm guessing that Jameson was thrilled about his famous son giving up the astronaut job?"

"He stopped screaming about ten days after finding out." They laughed. "So, why are you here?"

"Could you help me with something?"

They went over to Peter's house. When they arrived, Liz was shocked to discover that Peter's "father" was threatening him with a gun. "You should've known better, Parker! We're only clones from Warren!" He saw Liz and John. "Don't worry, you two will be next!" Suddenly, "Richard" fell down. "Mary" was standing behind him. She looked at Peter.

"I couldn't let him kill you, Peter. I developed feelings for you. You're… you're… my son." She started to fall. "I… I… have to be disabled because I didn't follow Warren's plans." She collapsed to the floor. Liz looked at Peter.

"Are you okay?" Peter didn't answer her. "You'll be okay." She turned to John. "Could you help me with the clones?"

When Liz was getting ready to leave the Parker house, Mary Jane was still sitting on the bench. Mary Jane looked at Liz. "Just let me talk to him."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because of what you did to Gwen!" Liz was getting angry. "Mary Jane, just leave Peter and I alone, okay? Just leave us alone! You'll never be of any help to us!" Liz left. Mary Jane thought for a second. She decided to go to Secret Hospital.

"Miss Watson, I must say that this is a surprise," Dr. Connors said.

"I'm going to need a lab coat and some form of body armor. Oh, and I'm also going to need a horse."

"This must be some movie that you're working on."

"Something like that."


	68. Lies and Deceit

**Chapter Two**

_Lies and Deceit_

Liz went over to Aunt May's house. "Hi, May, is Peter here?"

"No, he's not, Liz. He went to visit Gwen's grave."

"He's not doing well, is he?"

"Liz… he's struggling. Every day is a challenge for him." May paused. "Well, come in, anyway."

Peter was staring at Gwen's grave. Suddenly, he was attacked by something. When he finally was able to look at his attacker, he was surprised to discover that there were two attackers. Then, he was surprised to discover how young they were. It was a boy and a girl. The boy looked at him. "You killed our mother!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Peter was stunned. "Who are you and what are you talking about?"

"I'm Darren" the boy said. "She's Stephanie. We're Gwen Stacy's children."

"That's impossible."

"You wish it were impossible," Stephanie said. "Norman Osborn is our father."

"Yeah, our dad is the Green Goblin," Darren said.

Peter, out of shock, started to run to May's house. They ran after him.

Meanwhile, Norman was trying to interview his new applicant. "Well, I guess you heard about the unfortunate end of two of my employees…"

"Yes, I did. It was quite a tragedy."

"Yes it was." Norman paused. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Marty Jetson."

"Now, Marty, you do realize that you're going to witness some disturbing things here, don't you?"

"Of course I do. In fact, I'm even willing to sacrifice my horse, Danver."

"I think you're perfect for the job. You're willing to commit sacrifice for business. I respect that."

"Thank you."

"Hey, Mr. Osborn," a man said as he was walking up the stairs.

"Please call me Norman." He turned to Marty. "Mr. Jetson, this is Ben Reilly." He turned to Ben. "Ben Reilly, this is Marty Jetson, our new employee." Marty turned to Norman.

"By the way, please call me Marty."

When Peter arrived with Darren and Stephanie to May's house, Liz was skeptical. "You say that you're Norman and Gwen's children?" Darren looked at her.

"That's right."

"I see… and when were you…"

"Conceived? During Gwen's trip to London. You know, she went there, after the overly honest and loyal George Stacy died."

"Wow. You're even more annoying and insensitive than you look."

"I suppose you're wondering how we became so old so quickly?"

"That's one of many questions that I want to ask."

"It's simple. Norman used a machine to rapidly age us."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Darren turned to Peter. "You killed Gwen."

"Listen, kid," Liz said as she raised him by the shirt collar. "Peter did not murder Gwen! Insist otherwise, and you will be kicked around the block faster than a speeding bullet!"

"Don't threaten me, Richardson."

"Look, Peter," Liz said while she looked at Peter. "I'm supposed to meet Ned's mother tonight. I have to change. However, I will be back. Don't let these kids bother you." She left. She walked into another room of Aunt May's house. She called John. "John, hi, this is Liz. The clones have struck again. Please come over to May Parker's house. It's at this address." Liz recited the address, then she hung up.

Meanwhile, Marty and Ben were in one of the labs in OsCorp. Ben looked at Marty. "So, it's been several hours, and I still don't know anything about you."

"Listen, Ben, thank you for helping me." She looked at him.

"Well, when you almost blew up the laboratory earlier, I think Norman was very grateful that I was there." He looked at her. "What university did you graduate from, anyway?"

"Look, Reilly…" Marty was getting annoyed. "It's just the first day jitters, okay?"

"First day jitters can get you fired; you realize that, don't you?"

"I do."

"Good. No offense to Norman Osborn, but you're the most interesting person in this laboratory."

"Thank you."

"Who said that I meant it as a compliment?" They laughed.

At her house, May was getting uneasy. "Why don't we all go outside?"

"May, that's an excellent idea," Liz said. She sighed.

When they all walked outside, Ned and John were making their way up to the door. Stephanie looked at Peter. "Who are they?"

"Well, he's Liz's fiancé," he said while pointing to Ned. "And he…" He looked at John. "John Jameson? Why are you here?"

"Liz and I became friends. Shocking, isn't it?"

"They are neither Norman nor Gwen's kids," Liz determinedly said. "Warren used strands of the DNA of Gwen and Norman to create them. John and I ran DNA tests… that's how we found out…"

Suddenly, everybody heard a slight humming sound. They turned around to see a miniature goblin with a miniature glider. Stephanie panicked. "Darren, no!"

"Sorry, Stephanie! I have to avenge our mother! If you get in my way, then I'll have to get rid of you too!" Spears came out from the glider. "This is the end, Parker!" He started to come towards Peter. Suddenly, Stephanie jumped onto the glider. After unplugging Darren's connections on the back of his neck, she turned off the glider. Then, she jumped to the ground. She looked at Peter.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I had to kill him. I couldn't let him kill you. You…" She paused. "You were like a father to me." She fell.

Ned was puzzled. "Why did she?"

"Warren doesn't like it when people don't follow his plans," Liz answered. "C'mon, Ned, we have to go." They started to leave.

"Norman… is the Goblin," Peter said in shock.

"What?" Ned turned around. "No, he isn't."

"They told me that he was."

"Peter, it was obviously a plan of Warren to try to frame Norman Osborn. I'm not surprised by any of this. Warren was trying to frame somebody else for his crime. After all, Warren had attacked Gwen earlier."

"Ned, we didn't know about Warren before this."

"Warren was in hiding, Parker. Nobody knows who's behind the mask of the Green Goblin. However, I'm sure that it was Warren. On the other hand, nobody knows who's behind the mask of Spider-man, either." He looked at Peter. "Peter, I know that Spider-man felt really bad about what happened to Gwen. He blamed himself. That's why he quit. So, don't blame him for this." Ned turned around to Liz. "Okay, Liz, it's not a good idea to keep mom waiting."

"If she's anything like you, she'll probably be late herself."

"Well, Liz, she's not exactly like me."

John was back at the asylum when somebody knocked on the door. He answered the door. It was J.J.J. "You're my son. I deserve to hear from you more often than receiving a fruitcake every Christmas."

"Come in. As I recall you said that you never wanted to talk to me again after I quit the astronaut job."

"You're still sticking to the asylum, huh?"

"That's the plan. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, after the wedding publicity stunt and after you were attacked at _The Daily Bugle_ office, I thought that you would change your mind."

"The wedding publicity stunt was to get money for the asylum."

"I see." He paused. "You haven't experienced any weird side effects after the attack, have you? When a man who just goes by "W" injects my son with something, I almost expect my son to turn into King Kong."

"No weird side effects."

"Are you sure that you don't want to go back to being an astronaut? Do you realize all that you're missing?"

John looked at his TV. A news segment on Liz and Ned's George's Point actions was running. Liz and Ned were walking back to George's Point. "Sometimes I do."

Later that day, John started to hear weird sounds coming from the asylum. Suddenly, a prisoner ran past him. John caught up with the prisoner. Suddenly, John panicked. He realized that something was about to happen and it wasn't going to be good.


	69. Quick Decisions

**Chapter Three**

_Quick Decisions_

Spider-man was swinging through the city. Suddenly, somebody caught up to him. "Spider-man!" He turned around. It was a female. "I'm so glad that Peter Parker retired! Ben Reilly is so much more interesting!"

"Who are you exactly?"

"I'm the Black Cat."

Peter was walking home from visiting Gwen's grave. "Peter, I shouldn't have married you." He turned around. It was Gwen.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

"Leave me alone. You're just another one of Warren's tricks."

"Trust me, Peter. What if I'm not? Do you really want to take that chance?"

"You don't act like Gwen."

"Being captured by the Goblin would change anybody's personality, Peter."

"I don't believe you."

"Peter, you may want to believe her," said an unfamiliar voice. Peter turned around.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Jackal."

Meanwhile, Marty walked into OsCorp. "Where is Ben," she asked Norman.

"Oh, he took the day off. He said that he met the girl that he was going to marry and he wanted the day off."

"He did?" Marty frowned. Norman looked at him.

"I mean, uh, good for him."

"Maybe not so good for you. Look, Marty, I was lenient with you yesterday, but if you can't prove to me that you're worthy of being an employee of OsCorp, then I'll have to fire you." Norman left.

Meanwhile, Peter was trying to escape the bizarre situation he was in. Suddenly, he bumped into something. "Hey, watch it!"

"Hey, watch it!" Peter looked at who he bumped into. It was Ben, as Spider-man. "How did you…"

"No time to explain!" Ben left.

Peter watched as Warren and "Gwen" entered into a building. Suddenly, Ben, as Spider-man, grabbed Peter. "C'mon, we have to go!" Suddenly, Warren disappeared. After he disappeared, the building blew up. "Just as I timed it. Except, I was hoping to get Warren…"

"You… you… planned that?"

"Of course. What did you say your name was?"

"Peter. You're no better than they are if…"

"Peter, to take care of a problem, you have to take care of a problem." He left.

Meanwhile, Ben swung down to a Las Vegas wedding chapel. He quickly changed out of the Spider-man outfit. He walked into the chapel. Felicia was waiting for him. "Hi, sorry I'm late." He looked around. "Wow! I'm impressed! You were able to find one without an Elvis impersonator!"

Felicia laughed. "That's why we're perfect for each other. I didn't want 'Hound Dog' sung at my wedding, either." She looked at him. "Do you have the rings?"

"Sure. They're right in my pocket." As he was fishing around in his pocket, a bunch of things fell out. "Here are the rings and…" A picture fell out. He looked at the picture. It was Mary Jane. He looked at Felicia. "Felicia, have you ever heard of a man called Warren?"

"I've heard a little bit about him. Why?"

"I'm almost sure that he was responsible for our almost wedding. I'm so sorry." He left.

Meanwhile, Marty was desperately trying to prove to Norman that he was successful. "If you just give me one more chance…"

"All right, one more chance." Norman looked at Marty. Marty used tongs to carry one tube over to the bowl. Then, he used another set of tongs to carry the other tube over to the bowl. Then, he poured both tubes into the bowl. Norman looked skeptical. "Well, that was good, but…"

"Marty!" They turned around. It was Ben. "I would've been so lost without you yesterday!"

"You would've been lost without… him," Norman said in shock.

"Of course. Marty really helped me out yesterday."

"Whatever happened to your marriage plans," Marty said.

"Those changed. I realized that it was just a trick by some guy. I know that sounds bizarre, but…"

"No. I completely understand you," Marty said.

Norman shook his head. "New employees. I don't understand them, but they're absolutely necessary."

Liz and Ned were at a fancy restaurant. Ned looked at Liz. "We never could've afforded this place on the skimpy newspaper allowance?"

"I know. However, as president and vice president of George's Point…"

"We definitely needed some peace and quiet."

"Hi, Liz and Ned!" They turned around to see John with a woman. "Ned and Liz, this is Ashley. Ashley, Ned Leeds and Liz Richardson.

"Hey guys!" Everyone turned around to see Mary Jane. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead," Ned said. "Everybody else has disturbed our peace and quiet," he uttered under his breath.

"What was that, Ned," John said.

"Nothing."

"Oh, good. I thought that we weren't imposing." They sat down.

"Hi, Mary Jane." Everybody turned around. It was Ben. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"What is this, a remake of the stateroom scene from _A Night at the Opera_," Ned said.

"Is it my imagination, or is it getting crowded in here," John said.

"Very funny, Jameson," Ned said.

"You're calling me Jameson, huh? Tell me, am I really as bad as my father? Liz, how do you know this Leeds person?"

"John, he's my fiancé." Liz grabbed for Ned's hand.

"Oh, I know who you two are," Ashley said. She smiled.

"You do?" Liz was surprised.

"Sure. You two are all over the news. You're the heads of George's Point, that one place that claims that it helps the police."

"Excuse me!?" Liz was starting to get angry.

"Oh boy," Ben said to Mary Jane.

"How do I know you exactly," Mary Jane said to Ben.

"I, uh, I came to see one of your shows," Ben said.

"I mean, George's Point is nice, but the last thing that the police needs to help them is a fairy tale-ish sob story started by a girl who didn't know what to do with her life after her father died. Then, you two took it up after she died."

"John, I'd love to tell you what a nice girl you have and that I'm so happy for you, but I can't," Liz said.

"What defines a hero," Ned said.

"Huh," Ashley said.

"What defines a hero," Ned repeated. "A hero, in my opinion, is not defined by how many lives he saves or doesn't save. What defines a hero is his or her ability to withstand the villain, to carry through, to see a new day. Finally, what ultimately defines him is his enduring ability to not become the villain at the end."

"I couldn't have said that better myself," Ben said.


	70. Different Lives, Same Path

**Chapter Four**

_Different Lives, Same Path_

Ashley was walking out of a restaurant with John one night. She looked at him. "I can't believe you."

"What?"

"John, the other night, you didn't even try to defend me once against Liz Richardson."

"That's because she's right. Listen, Ashley, Liz has been through a lot. The last thing she needed would be skeptical people."

"John…" She paused. "If that's the case, we're not meant to be together."

"You know something, Ashley? You're right."

Ashley frowned. She walked towards her car. She heard something. She turned around. What she saw made her scream.

At Warren's lair, Warren was working on his next Gwen Stacy clone. He looked at her. Everything seemed to be going well… until she collapsed. Warren frowned. That was yet another wasted effort. "Warren…" He turned around to see his assistant.

"Please call me Miles."

"Well, Miles, I'd love to be able to go home early tonight." She paused. "It's my husband's birthday."

"Uh, sure, just hold on for a minute. I had one more job for you to do."

Peter was sitting on the couch in his apartment. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He went over to open the door. There was Gwen, standing in a heavy rainstorm. "Peter…" She hugged him.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Liz was walking through the city. She heard sounds from emergency vehicles. The vehicles were heading over to a building. She raced over to the building. "Liz?' She turned around.

"John?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. There was a massive fire in the building. I'm trying to help the victims. Actually…" He pointed to one of the victims. "Could you help her while I help him?" He left. Liz walked over to her. She was a teenager.

"Hi, how are you doing?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Liz Richardson. Could you give me the names of your parents so that I contact them?"

"I'm an orphan."

Peter sat down by Gwen. "It was just so… so difficult to believe what was happening. I mean you were Spider-man… and… he killed…" Gwen paused. "Or I thought he killed my father. I pretended all this time, I went on the run all this time, but I decided that I finally need you, Peter."

"I don't believe you."

"What?"

"You heard me. I don't believe you." He touched the back of her neck. He gasped slightly. "You're not a clone."

"Peter, of course I'm not a clone." They looked at each other. Peter was starting to feel sorry for her. "Listen, you're not Gwen. There's this guy after me named Warren…"

"Warren… Something about that name sounds so familiar…"

"Anyway, he's after me. He's convinced you into thinking that you're Gwen. I'm going to help you." He brought out his computer. "Now, do you remember anything about yourself?"

She thought for a second. "I had a family."

"That's good. It's a start. Now… tell me more about that family…"

Liz looked at John. "You can't be serious."

"Actually, I am. Just keep her in your apartment until we can find her a better home. Listen, Liz, you're great at helping people. I'm confident that you can do this."

"Okay, Emma, you'll be staying with me for awhile," she said while motioning towards the girl.

When Emma and Liz walked into Liz's apartment, Emma immediately noticed a picture of Ned. "Who's he?"

"He's my fiancé."

"Where is he?"

"Actually, he's uh, out of town… on business." Liz awkwardly smiled.

Ned was looking cautiously around the building. "Listen, Leeds, if you dragged us out of the states for nothing…"

"Trust me. You saw the corrupt happenings on the George's Point monitor. This isn't just affecting the local people you know; this is also affecting the states."

"Okay. In three seconds… we'll go in… ready? One… Two…"

"Three. Are you sure that there are just three other relatives in your family besides yourself?" Peter looked at "Gwen."

"I'm almost positive."

"Now, try to remember your name."

"Gwen Stacy."

"I meant your real name."

"I don't remember." She moved uncomfortably on the sofa. Something dropped to the ground. Peter picked it up. It was a name tag.

"Kyra Granger. That will definitely help us a lot."

Liz was at George's Point when John walked in. "Hi, Liz. So, how is your new house mate doing?"

"She's exhausted. I just let her sleep. I came up here to do some quick cleaning." She looked up at the ceiling. "I'm having trouble replacing that light bulb, however."

"I can help you with that." He started to climb up the ladder. "So, how did meeting Ned's mom go?"

"Well, she's a widow… and, uh…"

"That well, huh?"

"She thought Ned deserved better. Actually, she thought that Ned deserved to be with his wedding planner ex-girlfriend. Apparently, Claire is back in town. I never even heard about Claire."

"Did you tell Ned about anybody else in your life?"

"The only person that I ever even crushed on was Peter."

"I'm not surprised."

"John, that was way back. It was stupid, really."

"Well, your friendship with Peter hasn't suffered."

"We need each other even more since…" Liz looked down. "Since Gwen died…"

"You know, Liz, in the asylum, I hear a lot of things. Broken homes, broken marriages, almost everything is broken. My point is, don't let Ned's mother or Claire bother you. Claire has probably long forgotten about Ned, anyway. Being in charge of an asylum has taught me many things, but one of them is the most valuable."

"What's that?"

"If you have love, real love, hold on to it."

"Thanks John. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry that I blew up at Ashley…"

"Liz…" He sighed. "Ashley and I broke up shortly after that happened. Shortly after our breakup, Ashley was murdered."

"What happened?"

"Carjacker, I guess. I don't know. Well, I'd better be leaving." He started to leave.

"John…"

"What?"

"Thank you. You made me feel a lot better."

"You're welcome."

Kyra looked at Peter. "Are you sure it's safe to cross Warren?"

"Kyra, in this case, we have to. Now, I'm going to contact your husband, and everything will be okay."

Liz returned to her apartment. She was surprised to see Emma waiting for her. "Liz, I wish that I didn't have to do this to you. I wish that I could trust. I was hoping that maybe you were different than the others."

"Emma, what are you talking about?"

"I have to kill you, Liz."

Peter turned to Kyra. "It's okay, Kyra, I have your husband on the phone." Kyra picked up the phone.

"I'm so happy to hear your voice!" Kyra paused. She started to collapse. Peter looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

"This is what happens… when… you cross… Warren," she said.

John raced over to Liz's apartment. He looked around. "Liz, are you okay? What's wrong? Where's Emma?"

"John, Emma left. She threatened to kill me, and then she just left."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay. I'm just a little bit stirred up."

"I don't blame you in the least."

Emma was sitting in a room. "Emma, you know what happens…"

"Just give me a chance to explain, please, Warren! I couldn't hurt her! She was so nice to me!"

"Your job was to dispose of Liz Richardson." He looked at her. "Do you know what happens when people _don't_ do their job?"


	71. Playing with Fire

**Chapter Five**

_Playing with Fire_

Liz and Ned were getting ready to walk into the prison cell of the man that Ned had captured the day before. Liz looked at Ned. "I'm surprised that we were granted visitation rights."

"Well, when you assist in the capture, how can you not be granted visitation rights?" Liz smiled. They walked in. The man looked at them.

"Leeds, I have nothing to say to you." He looked at Liz. "Miss Richardson, I assume that you are confident in what you're doing?"

"Of course I'm confident. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I can't answer that question, Miss Richardson."

"Very well, then." Liz started to leave.

"Miss Richardson?"

"Yes?" Liz stopped.

"You're messing with the wrong man. You do not want Warren to be against you."

Liz looked unsure about herself. "Well, uh, thanks for the warning." They left. Ned looked at her.

"He was just bluffing, right?"

"Yeah…" However, Liz was still unsure.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Later that day, Peter looked at Liz. "You can't be serious."

"Why wouldn't I be serious?"

"Look, Liz, trust me. I'm not ready for this… this…" He paused. "What is it again?"

"It's a rainforest gala."

"Liz, I appreciate your efforts to get me to be social again, but I'm not ready."

"What if I told you that this is what Gwen wanted?"

Mary Jane, as Marty, walked into OsCorp. She looked around. A bleeding Ben was lying on the floor. "Ben!" She rushed over to him. "What happened?"

"Warren… Warren… attacked me…"

"I'm going to get you some help."

Liz looked at Peter. They were at the rainforest gala. "Peter, I was trying to help you."

"What, Liz, by forcing me to go to a rainforest gala?"

"No, Peter, by forcing you to live." Liz's phone rang. Liz picked it up. "Hello?" She paused. "We'll be right over." She hung up. "Apparently, Mary Jane has a boyfriend. More importantly, he's been attacked by Warren and she's bringing him over to George's Point. We have to go."

When Liz arrived at George's Point, she looked at Mary Jane. "Why did you bring him here? He should be in a hospital."

"Liz, trust me, he didn't want to go to a hospital."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. However, I have to respect his wishes." She looked at Ben. Then, she looked at Liz. "I sedated him before I brought him here. He was in a lot of pain." She was starting to be on the verge of tears. "He's going to be okay, right, Liz?"

"Mary Jane, uh, I can't make any promises…" Liz looked at Mary Jane's water-filled eyes.

"However, I will try my best." Liz left. She walked into the back room. Peter was standing there.

"How is everybody?"

"That's the first time I saw real emotion come out of Mary Jane. She really cares about him." Liz looked at Peter. "Anyway…" Liz walked over to the microscope. She looked into it. "Well, I see the erythrocytes, neutrophils, eosinophil and lymphocytes."

"Liz…" Peter stopped her. "You're a former newspaper reporter and now you're the vice president of George's Point. You're not Betty Ross or Bruce Banner. How did you know that?"

"Well… I didn't want you to worry about me… but…"

"What happened?"

"Ever since my ordeals with Warren, my brain is like an encyclopedia."

"Liz, what if Warren is using this to hurt you?"

"Peter, every time a villain attacks, something negative happens. This time, something good happened, and I'd like to keep it." The doorbell rang. "That's John. I asked him to come over." Liz left.

"So, tell me why did you invite a guy over who only knows how to do basic CPR?"

"I guess it's more for emotional support, but you can definitely help me heal him."

"Where's Ned when you leave him?"

"Out of town on business."

"Is your marriage going to be like this?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Liz smiled.

"I guess the better question is why is Romeo not in a hospital?"

"Romeo told Juliet not to put him in a hospital for some odd reason."

"You respected Juliet's wishes?"

"I'd never go against a friend. No matter how ridiculous the request is."

"Well, I can definitely respect that."

"What?"

"Loyalty. Trust me; it's an excellent trait to have."

Liz and John walked back into the room. Mary Jane looked at John. "Can you help him?"

"Mary Jane, I'll try, but…"

"Listen, Jameson, he needs help. If you don't get him some help, then…"

"You never would've guessed that we pretended to be engaged," John said. That's the most emotion I've ever seen out of her."

Liz walked into the back room. Peter was standing there. "Listen, Liz, I have to go…"

"Peter, wait!" Liz held up her hand. "I got engaged to Ned."

"I heard."

"You did?"

"I watched the George's Point video. However, I would've preferred to hear it from you."

"Peter… I'm sorry…" Liz paused. "I'm glad this came up. Peter, I know that your wedding was definitely a rough time for you. It was a rough time for me, too. However, I have a really big favor to ask you." She sighed. "Please give me away on my wedding day."

"I… uh… I have to go now."

"Peter, wait!" She stopped him. "Everybody in my life is gone. Gwen's gone, my family's gone… Ned, you, Mary Jane and John are the only people that I have left. Please, Peter, do this favor for me. It would be the best wedding gift that you could ever get me."

"Liz… I'll think about it. That's the best I can do." Peter left. John walked into the back room.

"Liz, I hope you don't mind, but I accidentally heard your earlier conversation."

"Oh, I forgot to give you your wedding invitation, didn't I?" Liz handed it to him.

"Darn. Now I can't use the excuse that it got lost in the mail."

"Cute."

"Actually, I meant your earlier conversation. You know, about your sudden intelligence."

"Oh, uh, listen…"

"Don't tell Ned, right?"

"How did you know?"

"It's easy. You don't want him to feel inferior. You want him to feel like you two are equals."

"I just feel bad…"

"Keeping this secret from him? Don't worry about it. Liz, it's for the greater good. You're preventing him from worrying." John looked at his watch. "Well, I need to get back. Ben is doing a lot better, and he and Mary Jane left."

"How was he cured?"

"Basic CPR and first aid stuff."

"Naturally."

"No, honestly, Liz, I do need to get back. I'm sure that the inmates have a dozen secrets that they're plotting right now, all of them against my greater good."

"Very funny."

"You never know, Liz, I may be hiding a secret or two myself."

"I'll see you later, John." John left.

Mary Jane was looking out on her apartment balcony. Suddenly, something surprised her. "Miss Watson…" She turned around to see Spider-man.

"Oh, you. Listen… why did you replace the original Spider-man?"

"Sometimes, the sequel is better than the original."

"Not in this case. Good night."

"Wait. Wouldn't you love to take a ride around the city?"

"At this time of night? No thanks."

He stopped her. He put her arms around his neck. "Trust me." They left. Mary Jane looked at him.

"This is amazing? Isn't that the…"

"_Daily Bugle_ office? Yes, it is." She looked at him.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"You know, I've never been the biggest fan of secret identities. Unless of course, I'm with a villain, but I sincerely doubt that you're a villain."

"You never know."

He took his mask off. Mary Jane was surprised to see… Ben. "Ben, why does that not surprise me? Listen, thank you for entrusting me with your secret. The old Spider-man wouldn't."

"Thank you for saving my life." They kissed.


	72. Dual Identity

**Chapter Six**

_Dual Identity_

Liz looked around. She had started to hold a weekly psychology session since Gwen died for victims of strange and unusual crimes. Most of her patients were victims of Warren. So, not only could she help them, but she could also get information on Warren. However, this session wasn't going so well. "Give me one good reason why I should talk to you," one girl retorted.

"I'm here to help you."

"There's absolutely no way that you can understand what we went through."

"Trust me, there is."

"What?"

"Warren went after my brain."

"I don't believe you. That's just a sympathy ploy. I'm leaving. Don't even try to talk me out of it." She left. Liz sighed. Liz turned back to her paperwork. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she wasn't able to hear the screams outside of the building.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Peter looked at Liz. He was getting annoyed. "I told you, already, the answer is no."

"Oh, c'mon, it doesn't have to be a steak or a fancy dinner. Let's just go to a fast food joint. C'mon, Ned is busy."

"Liz, I told you no already. Besides, I'm busy, too."

"Peter, if Gwen saw you this way…"

"She's not here to see me this way. Look, just call Ned, please!"

When Liz arrived at George's Point, Ned was surprised to see her. "Liz! Actually, this is perfect timing because I'm done with my work! How did your counseling session go?"

"Oh, great. She accused me of lying, of being unable to relate and then she left. Peter just yelled at me for trying to help him live life again."

"You may want to give Peter a break. He's been through a lot. Besides, I don't know what my life would be like without you…"

"It would probably be a lot simpler, that's for sure."

"This is a breaking news alert. Several people were murdered near the asylum tonight. One person was found near the psychology building that George's Point Vice President Liz Richardson uses for counseling sessions. The others were found near the other side of the asylum. Close to the asylum is a banquet room, which a source claimed, was being used to celebrate a 21st birthday. If you have any information on these crimes, please contact us at…" The newscaster recited the number. Ned looked at Liz. "Well…"

"We'll order in. We have some investigating to do." Liz paused. Her cell phone was ringing. "John? This isn't a good time. What? No…no… no… I'll be right over." She hung up. "It's John. I have to go."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, not this time."

Liz rushed over to the asylum. "John, why did you say a thing like that on the phone?"

"Liz, I'm responsible. I have to be responsible."

"What is this about? This is crazy talk."

"Liz, listen to me, before I left town, I went over to _The Daily Bugle_ to say goodbye to dad… I remember that it was a warm, sunny day."

"Hi, dad, it's me."

"Would you mind explaining what this little publicity stunt wedding idea was about?"

"I needed the money. I wanted to protect people. So, I'm going to start an asylum."

"My college-educated astronaut son is not going to run an asylum."

"I'm using my college education to help me run the asylum. Trust me, it's the right thing to do."

"This is the craziest thing I've ever heard of."

_Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I started to blackout. There was a man behind me, who just called himself 'W' at the time. Looking back on it, it was probably your Warren guy. I remember what he said after dad said that…_ "How about second craziest?" _When I got up, dad said that what happened was the scariest thing he ever saw. I just remember being so upset about the asylum that day that I left. To this day, he won't talk about what happened after Warren said that._

John looked at Liz again. "Ever since, I have these times where I faint and…"

"John, this is ridiculous. Look, Warren attacked my brain several times. Did it hurt? Yes. Did I plead guilty to something I didn't do? Absolutely not. As for the other fainting times, I know you, John, you're just stressing yourself too much about running the asylum. Get some sleep. It will make a world of difference."

"Thank you, Liz." They hugged.

"Well, I need to go. I have to attend my patient's funeral." Liz left.

At the funeral, Liz looked around. Many of her patients were there. She noticed that one of her patients was staring at her.

The next day, Ned was starting to head out of George's Point. "Where are you going?"

"I want to talk to John. You said yourself that he was feeling guilty."

"Ned, I don't think that this is a good idea."

"Trust me, Liz; I know what I'm doing." Ned left.

Liz called John. "John, I tried to stop him, I really did…"

"You tried to stop who, Liz?"

Liz paused. "Ned's coming over."

When Ned got there, John wasn't that happy to see him. "Uh, Ned, of course, well…"

"Look, Liz told me that you were feeling guilty. Just because your building is between the two buildings doesn't mean that you're guilty. I will prove that. I know you're innocent."

"Thank you, Ned. Listen, this isn't the best time…"

"Freeze!" They turned around to see the patient that was staring at Liz during the funeral. The patient was holding a gun. "Stop, or I'll shoot." He looked at them.

"Or, you won't!" Everybody turned around to see Ben, as Spider-man, coming towards them. He grabbed the guy, and he whisked him away. In the meantime, Liz arrived.

"Oh, Ned! John! You're okay!" She hugged Ned. Then, she paused. "I'm the world's worst counselor."

"Don't say that, Liz," Ned said.

"My patient committed murder. It doesn't get any worse than that."

"It wasn't your fault," Ned said. He paused. "C'mon, I'll take you back to George's Point."

Liz and Ned were standing on the top of the roof of George's Point. Ned looked at Liz. "You're sure he's coming?"

"Of course he is. The new Spider-man wouldn't want George's Point or Ned Leeds, for that matter, against him." They looked up. Spider-man was coming towards the roof.

"You had mentioned that you wanted to see me," Spider-man said.

"Yes, I did," Liz said. "Listen, I was very close to the first Spider-man, so this isn't easy for me. However, I need your help in defeating Warren."

"Do you mind if I take my mask off? I'm not big on the secret identity thing. One, it makes it harder to see. Two, I feel like I'm at a Halloween costume party all year long."

"Be my guest. In fact, I'd prefer it."

He removed his mask. Liz looked at him. "Apparently, Mary Jane loves guys in costumes. Anyway, we need your help… How were you going to take care of Warren?"

"Well, Miss Richardson, may I call you Liz?"

"I guess."

"Liz, my philosophy is, the only way you can take care of a problem, is to take care of that problem."

"Liz, it does make sense," Ned said.

"No! The old Spider-man would've never agreed to that and neither will I! If we do, then, we're no better than Warren himself."

"Then," Ben said while putting on his mask, "We have nothing more to discuss." He left.


	73. Vengeance Maybe

**Chapter Seven**

_Vengeance… Maybe_

Mary Jane, as Marty, and Ben were at OsCorp. Mary Jane was trying not to knock over something. Ben looked at her. "Hold on, you're almost there, Marty, no, wait a minute…" The item knocked over. Norman rushed up the stairs.

"Marty! That's going to be yet another repair bill!"

"I'm sorry, Norman. I tried…"

"Look, Marty, one more escapade and you're fired." He started to walk down the steps. He paused. "Oh, by the way, you'll need to kill your horse today."

"What? Why?" She was stunned.

"For the sake of furthering science and research, Marty. You don't want to get fired, do you?" He left. Ben looked at Mary Jane.

"Don't worry. Today's going to be a great day. We'll change his mind."

"You sound like Peter."

"Trust me, that is never going to happen."

Peter was at home when the phone call came. "Mr. Parker?"

"Yes?"

"This is the police department. Mr. Parker, we need your help. The corpse of your wife has been stolen."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

"What?"

"Gwen Stacy Parker's corpse has been stolen."

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"Mr. Parker, we didn't know that somebody would go after the body…"

"That's your own fault, then." Peter hung up. He called Liz. "Liz, Gwen has been stolen from her grave."

"What? Peter, we'll be right there to help you."

"No, we won't be," Ned said. He stopped her. "Liz, today is our vacation day. The police will help him…

"I don't want Peter to get hurt…"

"The police will help him."

"Peter," Liz said into the phone. "Today is our vacation day. Just… just listen to the police and don't do anything irrational." She hung up.

Ben looked at Mary Jane while they were working at George's Point. "See, I told you that today would be a great day."

"Yeah. Just as long as I can avoid Norman…"

"Marty!" Mary Jane cringed as Norman called her alter ego's name. "It's time! Bring the horse!"

"It'll be okay. I promise," Ben said to Mary Jane.

Peter raced to Gwen's grave. He was trying to think of who would take the body and where they would take it.

Mary Jane was holding the injecting needle. "Norman, are you sure about this?"

"Look, Marty, this is what separates the great scientists from the mediocre ones." He looked at Ben. "Ben, you look tired. You should take a nap."

"No, really, Norman, I'm okay."

"I insist. Here." Norman picked up a sedative. "I know that your profession is _stressful_ at times. I mean, it _has_ to be, right?"

"Seriously, Norman, I'm okay."

"No, Ben, I'm worried about you."

"But, Norman…"

"I'm not taking no for an answer." Norman sedated him. He turned to Mary Jane. "I always felt so sorry for him. He works like a dog all day, doesn't he?"

"Ben has been…" She paused. "He's been a great help?"

"Maybe he's been too much of a help…"

Peter was still trying to think as she stared at Gwen's grave. Suddenly, something sharp hit his neck.

"Norman, isn't there another way to be a great scientist?"

"Great scientists…" He paused. "Well, they're willing to commit sacrifice."

"I don't have to go down in the history books, Norman."

"Marty, this isn't a request. If the horse doesn't go, you're fired."

"Well, then, I guess I am." She started to go.

"You should never quit something this easily, Miss Watson."

Mary Jane paused. She turned around.

"Oh, it was easy to figure out. The way Ben looked at you, the way you looked at Ben… everything else just fell into place. All of your life you've never been taken seriously enough. This was your way to prove yourself to Peter, a.k.a. the first man you've ever loved. You need to stop going after those arachnids." He paused. Then, he left. Mary Jane raced over to Ben.

"Ben, we have to go! C'mon, Ben, we have to go!" Suddenly, she heard laughter. The goblin flew over her. She walked over to her horse. She started to try to untie the horse. While, she was untying the horse, she noticed a button. The button read _IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: BUILDING SELF-DESTRUCT IN FIVE MINUTES._

Peter looked around. He couldn't determine where he was. His attention was turned to the ground. There was a piece of paper with the name 'Warren' scrawled on it.

Mary Jane finished untying her horse. Then, she went over to Ben. She carried Ben over to the horse. After she put him on the back of the horse, she rode on the front of the horse. However, the goblin was following her. She barely got up the steps before the Goblin diminished the steps. Hurrying, she raced the horse along the curved, circular balcony pathway that led to the emergency exit. Suddenly, the horse moaned in pain. She looked at the horse. Norman had injected it. Struggling, she finally got the horse down the exit ramp. She looked around. They were away from OsCorp. Suddenly, OsCorp blew up. She turned to Ben. She gave him an anti-sedative. He looked at her. "What happened?"

"I blew up the building. I had to. Norman is the…"

"Green Goblin, I know. I worked here to protect you."

"You knew all that time that I was Marty?"

"I did."

"Sometimes, I just can't believe you, Ben Reilly." She turned to the horse. "Unfortunately, the horse went down."

"At least it didn't go down as part of a fake ploy to be a great scientist."

"What a ridiculous excuse. I'm just glad that you're okay."

"I'm glad that _you're_ okay." They kissed.

Peter was still looking around. Suddenly, he noticed a table with something on it. He walked over to the table. There was Gwen in her wedding dress. He picked her up. Then, he headed towards the exit.

After her vacation, Liz arranged to meet John at the local café. When they got to the café, John was skeptical. "It's not every day that somebody offers to buy me a cup of coffee…"

"John…" Liz paused. "I know you thought you were responsible…"

"Liz, I know now that I wasn't. You're right. Running the asylum is exhausting sometimes. However, I never should've thought that I was responsible." He paused. "I always wanted to thank you for that. You're the only person who understood."

"John… I can't be there for you forever. I mean, I have George's Point and the wedding and many other things…"

"I know…"

"Well…" Liz paused. "I better get going. I have a couple of appointments that deal with wedding preparations."

"Good luck with that."

"Thank you."

"John…" She paused. "If I don't see you for awhile, it's nothing personal, okay? It's just that Ned's mother can be suspicious and…"

"I understand." Liz smiled at him. She started to leave. "Liz?"

"Yes?"

"I do want to see you again sometime."

"Yeah, okay, sometime." She left.

When they arrived at his apartment, Peter took Gwen down to the basement. He put her on the table in the basement. Then, he walked back up the stairs. After making sure that it was locked, he closed the basement door. Gwen's eyes opened. She smiled.


	74. Modified Origin

**Chapter Eight**

_Modified Origin_

"Mary Jane? Mary Jane?" Peter paused. Mary Jane was still trying to wake up. She looked at him.

"Peter… where am I? Why am I on your… couch?" She looked around.

"I don't know. I just came down the stairs and they you were."

"Peter…" She paused. "I don't know why I'm here, but I wanted to say something to you. I'm so sorry about what happened at the wedding…"

"Mary Jane, I don't blame you anymore. You see, I found your necklace and you're right." He picked up the necklace off the table.

"Peter, don't touch it! You'll regret…" She paused. Their surroundings started to spin around.

Meanwhile, someone was knocking on Ben's apartment door. He opened the door. "Ben?"

"Yes, Ned?"

"Ben…" Ned paused. "You're suspected of planning the explosion that killed Norman Osborn and another OsCorp employee.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Mary Jane looked at Peter. They were in a windy, unrecognizable place. "Where are we," she asked.

"How should I know?"

"Wait a minute," Mary Jane said as she watched a girl come up to them. "Isn't that Ned Leeds ex-girlfriend? What was her name?"

"Lauren Tyler," Peter answered. He looked at Lauren. "Lauren, what are we doing here and why are you here? Better yet, what is this place?"

"It's Warren's fortress. He sent me here after he kidnapped me." She looked at them. "You have to leave. If you don't, you'll die."

"How do you know," Mary Jane said.

"Mary Jane…" She paused. "I'm dying."

Ben looked at Ned in shock. "You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately, I am serious. Everybody thinks that you murdered Norman and that you murdered an employee named Marty Jetson."

"Ned, I didn't do that…"

"I know you didn't. However, because of this rumor, your reputation now has a scarlet color to it."

"What did you say?"

"I know you didn't?"

"No, the other part."

"Your reputation now has a scarlet color to it?"

"Thanks, Ned; you just gave me a great idea."

Peter looked at Lauren. "Lauren, we will help you…"

"Peter, you should help yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know that you were Spider-man. You quit because you felt that you were responsible for Gwen's death. I know better. Trust me, Peter, you aren't responsible."

"I wish I could believe you," Peter answered.

"Wow, Lauren, you grew up a lot," Mary Jane said.

"This kind of place tends to do that to people," Lauren answered. She looked at them. "Before I die, I'm going to help you escape. Come with me." They walked over to a portal. Lauren looked at Mary Jane. "Please go first."

"No, Peter is going first," Mary Jane said.

"Listen to me, Mary Jane, you don't understand. Humans with powers are less affected here than regular humans are."

"No, you don't understand," Mary Jane answered. "Peter is going first!" She pushed him into the portal.

"Mary Jane, you shouldn't have done… that," Lauren said. "Listen, it's not going to be long…"

"Thank you for your help, Lauren," Mary Jane said.

"Mary Jane, you were as unreal as I was once. Learn a lesson from me. Never act in real life." Lauren smiled at Mary Jane briefly. Then, Lauren died. Mary Jane climbed into the portal. However, as she was going through the portal, she felt strange.

Liz heard a sound on her apartment door. She opened the door. It was John. "Listen, Liz, I know what you said, but I need your help."

"Sure, John, what is it?"

"Could you help me research my family? It's for a surprise family project that I'm doing for J.J.J. at _The Daily Bugle_." John paused. He didn't want to tell her what it was really for her. After all, he couldn't ask her to research if they were any abnormal genetic conditions in his family, could he?"

"Sure. I'd be happy to help."

"Great. Well, I have to get back to the asylum."

"Yeah, it's never a good idea to leave that place unattended for awhile," Liz said jokingly.

"Oh, really? I thought it was," John said jokingly. He left. Liz went over to a filing cabinet in her apartment. She finished writing the name "John Jameson" on one of the files when there was a knock on the door. She answered the door. It was Mary Jane.

"Oh, hi, Mary Jane." Liz smiled at her. Suddenly, Mary Jane grabbed her neck. Then, she held her up to a wall.

"Where is the asylum?"

"I'm… I'm… not going to tell you."

"Never mind, then, I'll find it myself!" "Mary Jane" sedated Liz. "You're going to be a great help to me one day." She put Liz down on the couch. Then, she put a blanket over Liz. She called Jameson. "Hello, John? Listen, this is Mary Jane. I need your help. Can I come over?" She smiled at the sleeping Liz.

John was in the basement of the asylum when "Mary Jane" arrived. "John?"

"I'm in the basement."

"Guess what, John? I just saw your little girlfriend."

"Mary Jane, I know you love to play matchmaker, but this time, I'm not interested."

"Oh, so you mean to tell me that you're not even interested in Liz Richardson?"

He looked alarmed. "Mary Jane, why are you trying to hurt…"

"Maybe because I'm not Mary Jane." She smiled at him. "Do you remember me, John?" Warren? That guy who gave you your new problem?"

"What are you doing here!?"

"It's simple, really. One, to tell you that I know about Liz Richardson. Two…" She paused. "Did you think your new problem was bad?"

"That's not even a question."

"Well, I have some bad news for you, asylum astronaut, your problem is about to get worse." She injected him.

Liz was starting to wake up from the sedative when she got a phone call. She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Liz? This is John. Listen; please don't research my family anymore. There's no time to explain. Trust me, Liz, please." John hung up. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Liz slowly got up. She opened the door. It was Mary Jane.

"Freeze! Otherwise, I'm going to call the police!"

"Well, that's a fine way to greet your maid of honor." Mary Jane hugged Liz.

"Oh, Mary Jane, I'm sorry, it's just that…"

"What happened, Liz?"

"You were possessed by something. I'm guessing that it was Warren."

"I need to check on Ben." Mary Jane left.

When she arrived at his apartment, Ben was surprised to see Mary Jane. "You're never going to believe what happened!"

"You're never going to believe what happened!"

"You first," Ben said.

"Well, I woke up in Peter's apartment because apparently Warren had brought me there. Then, we were transported to Warren's fortress where apparently he possessed me and then he attacked Liz." She paused. "As me."

"I thought I had a rough day." He paused. "Ned told me that I was suspected of planning the OsCorp explosion."

"Oh no." She paused. "What happened?"

"Oh, we were able to convince them that it was a planned murder-suicide of an employee named Marty Jetson."

"Oh." She paused. "How exactly did you know Marty," she said jokingly.

"You tell me," he answered. They kissed.

John was at the asylum when he heard something coming down the stairs. Suddenly, one of the inmates ran past him. John stopped the inmate. The inmate looked at him. "Look, Jameson, I can easily fight you."

"That's not a good idea, trust me."

"You mean that it's not a good idea for you."

"Not exactly."


	75. Gate Crasher

**Chapter Nine**

_Gate Crasher_

Liz looked at Mary Jane as they were heading into the room. "Thank you for coming, Mary Jane. Ned's mother insisted on taking over the annual Halloween celebration ball from Norman and…"

"It's okay, Liz, I understand. Besides, this will be fun, right?"

"Uh, right…" Liz looked doubtful. They walked up to the ticket taker. The ticket taker was a woman in a mysterious, blue fortune telling outfit. She looked at them.

"One of you is stressed out over a loved one's relative, right? The other one…" She paused. "The other one has found a wonderful new romance; however, an old romance will show again today."

"Uh, thank you," Liz said. She left with Mary Jane. "Creepy," she whispered to Mary Jane.

"Tell me about it." Mary Jane looked. "There's something even creepier."

"Ned! Ned! Claire's here! Oh, it's been so long since both of you were together…" It was Ned's mother.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you _

Claire looked at Ned. "Oh, Ned, it's been way too long…"

"Uh, Claire, have you met my fiancée, Liz Richardson?"

"I can't say that I have." She turned to Liz. "So, Liz, you were the girl that stole this stallion's heart, huh?"

"Liz, did you know that Claire is a wedding planner," Ned's mother interjected. "I thought it would be just wonderful if Claire would plan the wedding…"

"Unfortunately, Marion…" Liz paused. "My good friend Mary Jane Watson has everything under control."

"Definitely," Mary Jane said.

"Oh, so you're a wedding planner, also," Claire said.

"No. I'm just the cousin of Betty Ross. Her father is a military general, so I'm going to use some of his strategies to plan the big day."

"Oh." Claire was shocked. "Well, um, I'm sure that will be nice, too."

"Where's your costume," Marion said to Mary Jane.

"Oh, I forget that this was a costume party, so I just wore a dress from my closet," Mary Jane answered. She looked around. "Well, I'm going to see Ben." She left.

"Lovely, isn't she," Marion said to Liz. Marion sighed. "Well, Liz, even though I trust your judgment, it's still a good idea to have Ned discuss the wedding details with Claire." She looked at Liz. "You aren't upset with me, are you?"

"Oh, Marion," Liz said sarcastically. "Why would I have any reason to be upset with you?"

"Well, Liz, I would have as much reason to be upset with you."

"Well, then, we're even."

"Thank you, Liz." Marion turned to Ned. "Come along, Ned." Ned looked at Liz.

"I'll see you later, Liz. This will only take a moment." Ned left with Claire and Marion. Liz sighed. She walked out onto the balcony.

"You don't seem to be enjoying the party, do you?" It was John.

"John!" Liz was happy to see him. "I thought you said that we couldn't see each other anymore. You said that it wasn't safe…"

"Liz, I got visited by a Warren possessed Mary Jane last night. I was worried about your safety because I thought Warren would go after you."

"He already has, John. He's gone after me several times." She paused. "Even before I knew you. He wanted to know where the asylum was, and then he sedated me. So, what did he do to you?"

"We just had a friendly little conversation."

"I bet it was as friendly as the conversation I just had with Ned's mother."

"So how is your future mother or should I say monster-in-law doing?"

"John, she's trying to have Claire arrange the wedding. Claire is Ned's wedding planner ex-girlfriend."

"Awkward." He paused. "However, Liz, I can tell you this. If you and Ned are meant to be, no amount of scheming by Ned's mother will ever change that."

"Thank you, John."

"So, Liz, are you ready?" They turned around. It was Ned. "Marion said that she wanted to talk to both of us about the wedding."

Liz tried to force a smile. "Okay, Ned." She left.

"So, this one burglar was trying to figure out what exactly the web was…" Ben was telling Mary Jane the story of one of the latest crime stopping outings. "You should've seen his face when he discovered that it was a web!"

"Excuse me, may I cut in?" They turned around. It was Peter. "Could I talk to Mary Jane for a minute?"

"Uh, sure," Ben said. Mary Jane and Peter left. They started to dance. Mary Jane looked at Peter. "Peter, what is this about?"

"I wanted to thank you."

"Okay. May I ask why?"

"I wanted to thank you for what you did at OsCorp."

"You know about that?"

"Mary Jane, listen…" Peter paused. "Ned and Liz have been really busy with the upcoming engagement and keeping up with George's Point. So, I thought that I had lost all of my allies. The truth was, however, that I hadn't lost all of my allies. I still had you."

"How…" She paused. "How did you know that Norman was the Green Goblin?"

"It just snuck up on me. I realized that Norman was gone when I was fighting the Green Goblin and I just put two and two together. Also, the voices were similar…" He looked at her. "How did you find out?"

"I discovered his lair the day that I was kicked out." She frowned. "Peter, this isn't like you! Normally, you would be lashing me for killing a foe…"

"I still have the philosophy of you're no better than the villains if you take the villain's actions. However, when Gwen died, her murder was different. The murderer had to be brought to justice…"

"Peter, I wasn't alone during my time at OsCorp." She paused. "Ben Reilly was with me and…"

"And now you're dating…"

"Right." She paused. "Peter, I know that I said that I was sorry before, but I want to apologize again. I never should've done that at your wedding."

"I understand. With the ring, you couldn't control your emotions…"

"Exactly." She was getting uncomfortable.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay after the incident at Warren's fortress."

"Well, apparently, Warren possessed me and he had me go after John and Liz, but other than that I'm okay."

"That's good. You aren't still possessed are you? Do I need to grab a steak knife?"

"No, don't worry," she said while she laughed. "My days of saying bizarre things to people in my life are over." She paused. "Hopefully."

"I missed a lot, haven't I," Peter said.

"Peter…" She paused. "There's something else you missed. Ben is… well, Ben is…"

"Well, I never expected you to get over me this quickly, Peter." They turned around. Gwen was standing there in her wedding dress.

"You're a clone, Gwen," Peter determinedly said.

"Peter, she's another clone," Mary Jane said. "Don't believe her." She turned to Gwen. "Where have you been all this time? Why didn't you come back?"

"I was traumatized after the Brooklyn Bridge incident. Peter…" She turned to Peter. "After being kidnapped by the Goblin, after learning your secret, it was all way too much to comprehend that day. So, I left. Trust me, that was the worst mistake of my life. All I ever missed… or wanted… was you."

"Clone or not, I have to help her," Peter said. He raced towards Gwen. Meanwhile, Mary Jane walked up the steps. She was on the balcony inside of the room when a surprise visitor came up. It was Gwen. Mary Jane looked at her.

"If you're Gwen, why aren't you with Peter? Your death or I guess… your disappearance traumatized him.

"Oh, I told him that I'd be right back. I'm not leaving until I prove to you that I'm not a clone."

"Good luck with that one."

"Oh, I know my appearance was rotten timing for you, Mary Jane."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, old Gwen was out of the way, so it was time to romance your favorite widower."

"You need counseling. You're a clone, and you may even have a real identity… it must be stressful for you…"

"Stressful?" She frowned. "You have no idea, do you? Although, Gwen's reappearance shouldn't have been too big of a deal. You have Mr. Reilly in your life now."

"First off, his name is Ben. Second off, you're right. I have no idea what Gwen went through. I was never kidnapped on my wedding day by an insane guy who calls himself the Green Goblin. Also, I was never saved by my husband, who's alter ego I blamed for my father's death. Finally, I was never forced to free fall from the Brooklyn Bridge." She was getting exasperated. "Long story, short…. you're right. I have absolutely no idea what you Gwen went through."

"Oh, Mary Jane, you're so funny," Gwen said. "Or should I call you Marty?" Mary Jane was alarmed. She looked at Gwen. Gwen had a steak knife in her hands. Mary Jane pushed Gwen. Gwen dropped the steak knife onto the balcony. While screaming, Gwen fell down to the ground. Peter rushed over to her.

"What happened?"

"Peter…" Gwen paused. "Mary Jane is the goblin! When her first attempt to kill me didn't succeed, she tried a second time! She was always jealous of me, Peter. She even kissed you at our wedding! Oh, Peter…" She started to sob. "Just save me from Mary Jane!"

The police raced up to where Mary Jane was. "No, you don't understand! Ben, Ben… help! I'm innocent! That's not Gwen! I can prove it!"

"That's what everybody says," one of the police officers said. "C'mon, Watson, let's go!"

"Ben, Ben!" Mary Jane was desperate. She looked at Gwen. When nobody else was looking, Gwen smiled at her.


	76. Dead or Alive

**Chapter Ten**

_Dead or Alive_

Liz looked at Ned. "You can't be serious."

"I am serious."

"Listen, Ned, Peter needs our help! I'm not going to abandon him!"

"He's going to have to wait a little while. Liz, Robert Marko died."

"You don't mean Robert Marko the Andersonton mayor…"

"Yes, Liz, I mean _that_ Robert Marko." Ned sighed. "We have a funeral to attend."

Ben went over to the police station. He looked at Mary Jane. "I have proof that Miss Watson isn't guilty."

"What," the officer said. He looked slightly annoyed.

"Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words, than how about a video?" Ben played the video for the officer. As the officer watched "Gwen" threaten Mary Jane, he frowned.

"I'm going to pay the Parkers a little visit."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Ned and Liz were sitting by each other at Roberto Marko's funeral. "This is going to be difficult," Ned said. "I've never given a eulogy before, especially for a guy like Roberto Marko, who left an incomparable great legacy."

"You'll do fine," Liz said. She looked around. "It's time, Ned."

"Wish me luck."

"I will."

Ned walked up to the podium. "What can I say about Robert Marko that nobody else has said? I could say that he was a great protector of the city, but that's already been said. Also, I could say that he was a great father and husband, but anybody and everybody who knew Robert Marko would indeed already know that." Suddenly, somebody attacked Ned. Liz panicked.

"Ned!"

Peter wasn't happy to see Mary Jane with Ben and the police officer. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question is, what are you doing," the police officer asked. "Or, more specifically, what is the woman that claims to be your wife doing?"

"What's going on," Gwen said as she walked up the steps.

"Miss Stacy, we have a video here that shows that Miss Watson acted in self defense." The officer played the video. After the video was done, he turned to Gwen. "What do you have to say for yourself now?"

"I'm guilty."

"What," the officer said in shock.

"I'm guilty. Yes, I did try to kill Mary Jane Watson. However, after losing my father at a young age, being tortured by various psychotic people, blaming Spider-man for my father's death and then finding out that my husband _is_ Spider-man…" Gwen paused. "Never mind the fact that Mary Jane kissed my husband on our wedding day and the Green Goblin kidnapped me on my wedding day and tried to kill me…" She paused again. "Mary Jane, I'm so sorry. I honestly thought that you were the Goblin. Now, I know better. I was just trying to act in self defense out of this strange sense of paranoia."

The officer looked at Gwen. "Gwen, I've always respected you and your father. I admired the work that you performed at George's Point and I admired your devotion to justice. I'm so sorry about this misunderstanding. Since nobody knows who the Goblin is, there can't be any further investigation." He turned to Peter. "I'm so sorry that I disturbed you tonight." He left. Mary Jane turned to Peter.

"Uh, Peter, do you mind if Ben and I talk to you in the basement?"

"Hold on…"

"No, Peter, it's okay," Gwen said. "Talk to them. I want you to. I'll be waiting when you get back."

They walked down to the basement. "Peter, I have reason to believe that she's not the real Gwen."

"I know, but I have to protect the clone." Peter said.

"Peter, I'm trying to protect you."

"She's right, Peter," Ben said. "She is trying to protect you."

Peter was at a loss for words. "Just leave. Please just leave!" Mary Jane and Ben left.

Liz watched in horror as a figure grabbed a hold of Ned's neck. Suddenly, another figure knocked the other figure out of the way. The other figure escaped as the second figure helped Ned up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm okay," Ned said. He looked at the figure. "Who are you?" The figure removed his mask. "Robert Marko!?"

"I faked my death to bring him out here." He frowned. "Only this time, I was hoping to capture him."

"Who are you talking about?"

Robert held up a piece of paper that had the name "Warren" scrawled on it.

Peter walked up the steps. He was surprised to discover that Gwen was headed towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Peter…" She paused. "I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I've inconvenienced you enough. I don't want you to get hurt by Mary Jane and Ben. Obviously, they're going after me, so I want to spare you. Please don't stop me."

"Look…" He stopped her. "I will help you recover your own identity. You can't live the rest of your life as my wife. Mary Jane and Ben are just friends…" He paused. "Sometimes, they're not even that."

"Peter…" Gwen paused. "I've already made up my mind. Goodbye, Peter." She left.

Ned looked at Robert as he was walking with him and Liz. "This may come as quite the shock to your wife," Ned said.

"Don't worry. Knowing Kay, she'll handle it well."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Liz said. "She didn't even want to attend the funeral, she was that bad off."

"Liz and Ned, it will be fine. Trust me."

When they arrived at Robert and Kay's house, Ned rang the doorbell. Kaya answered the door. "Ned? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry, Ned, I'm not really in the mood for surprises."

"You may be for this one," Ned answered. He stepped aside.

"Or maybe not," Robert said.

Kay looked at him. She turned to Ned. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

"What?"

"Bringing someone here who resembled my husband."

"Kay," Ned said. He was at a loss for words.

"He is Robert, isn't he?" She stepped towards him. She grabbed the newspaper from the porch. Then, she hit him on the shoulder with the paper. "Don't ever do that again," she said. Robert and Kay hugged while Liz and Ned left.

Peter headed into the basement. He was trying to find something to eat when… "Peter…" He turned around. When he saw who it was, he was shocked.

"You're still here?"

"I couldn't leave you, Peter. I couldn't. To protect you and me," she said, "I'll stay in the basement."

"This will work out. I never should've left you leave the first time. We will find your true identity.

"Well, I didn't give you much of a choice, did I," Gwen said and smiled broadly.


	77. Different Endings

**Chapter Eleven**

_Different Endings_

Ned and Liz were getting ready to see a theatrical performance. "Oh, I love weekends," Liz said.

"George's Point is a stressful job, but it's worth it. You get to protect the people; you get a higher salary and you get to get away from Jameson." Ned smiled. Then, he frowned.

"What is it?"

"Speaking of salary, I've never cashed that check."

"Ned…"

"Don't worry; it will only take a second." Ned left. Suddenly, Ben came over.

"Liz… what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Reilly," Liz said. "I'm waiting for Ned."

"You still don't like me, do you?"

"I never said that."

"Oh, so now I'm a friendly acquaintance?"

"I never said that, either. Look, Ben, I always preferred the old Spider-man…"

"Actually, I'm the Scarlet Spider now…"

"Ben, I don't care. I prefer the old one."

"If the old one was so great, then why did he have so many tragedies on his track record? Also, why did he quit?"

"Ben, you'll never understand, will you?" Suddenly, ambulances came quickly down the street. Liz looked at them.

"Oh no. It can't be…"

"What?"

"They're headed for the bank!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Mary Jane went over to visit Peter. "Peter, I know that you don't want to see me right now…"

"You got that right."

"Peter, I'm so sorry."

"I wish I could believe that."

"I meant that I was sorry for you, not for her."

Peter sighed. "Tell me why I'm not surprised."

Mary Jane looked at the table. "A big cheesy corn dish for one person? That would only make sense if you also had a dog to help you finish it…" She paused. She was thinking about something.

"Uh, Mary Jane…" Peter paused. "Would you mind going with me to the grocery store?"

"You're out of groceries already? It's only the start of the week."

"Yeah, I know, but I underestimated how hungry I would be this week." Peter looked awkward.

"Oh, I'm going to stay here. After all, somebody has to guard the cheesy corn dish, right?"

"Very funny." Peter tried to force a laugh. "No, seriously, come with me, Mary Jane…"

"Peter, I want to stay here!" She paused. "You don't have anything to hide, do you?"

"Hide? No… no… no… nothing like that… I'll… I'll… be right back. Just don't go into the basement, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Uh…" He paused. "Rats. Tons of them. It's disgusting. I'm going to have the mouse terminator over this week…"

"Okay." Mary Jane paused. "Peter, just do your shopping. It'll be okay."

"Uh, I'll be right back. Trust me on that." Peter left. When Peter left, Mary Jane got up. She started to walk over to the basement.

Liz and Ben walked over to the bank. Liz saw Ned lying on the floor. One of the paramedics turned to her. "Liz, we're so sorry… we didn't make it in time…" Liz was starting to tear up. She turned to Ben.

"And you call yourself a hero." With that, she left.

Ben raced over to George's Point as the Scarlet Spider. When he arrived, he was shocked to find that George's Point now looked like a shrine to Ned Leeds. "Ben…" He turned around. Liz was standing there. She was holding a gun. "Do you remember when you told me that the only way to take care of a problem was to take care of it?"

At Secret Hospital, Dr. Connors was surprised to see the Scarlet Spider. "Do you have anything to alter timelines?"

"This isn't a good idea," Dr. Connors said.

"Please. It's for Liz Richardson. I had to sedate her to stop her from shooting me. Please help me."

"Well, I do have something…" Dr. Connors paused. "This really isn't a good idea…"

"I don't care! Just give it to me!"

"Well…" Dr. Connors handed him something. "This will alter the timeline of the people you want it to alter. Everybody else's time line will remain the same."

"Thanks," Ben said. Dr. Connors stopped him.

"I don't recommend it though. Altering a timeline now may have a serious effect on somebody else's timeline. It may change the future… and, you can only use it once." He frowned.

"Thank you, Dr. Connors," Ben said. "However, this is an emergency." Ben left.

When Peter got home from the grocery store, Gwen was waiting for him. "What are you doing upstairs? Where is Mary Jane?"

"Peter, she came down to the basement…"

"Oh no…"

"When I saw her, I thought that she was somebody else, so I attacked her in self defense. So, she left. I know she's bringing Ben and the police back…"

"We'll go on the run." He paused. "Do you need anything?"

"No."

"That's good, because we're not going on the run in the traditional way…" Peter grabbed his Spider-man suit.

Ned and Liz were getting ready to see a theatrical performance. "Oh, I love weekends," Liz said.

"George's Point is a stressful job, but it's worth it. You get to protect the people; you get a higher salary and you get to get away from Jameson." Ned smiled. Then, he frowned.

"What is it?"

"Speaking of salary, I've never cashed that check."

"Ned…"

"Don't worry; it will only take a second." Ned started to leave. Suddenly, Ben came over. "You know what, Ned? Go into the theater with Liz. The check can wait."

"You know something, Liz," Ned said. "Ben's right. The check can wait."

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Ben said. "I have to go to the bank myself." Ben left.

Mary Jane was trying to find Ben. Finally, she got a clue about where he might be. She raced over to him. "Ben! I've been looking for you!"

"How did you find me?"

"I heard that the Scarlet Spider foiled a bank robbery," Mary Jane answered. "C'mon, we have to go! The Gwen clone never left Peter's apartment! She tried to attack me again! We have to help Peter!"

Peter was cancelling various items on his computer. "Okay, one more thing, and I am done," Peter said.

"Great," Gwen said. "Okay, let's go." She paused. "Peter, you won't miss anybody will you?"

Peter thought for a second about Liz, Mary Jane and everybody that he was leaving behind. Suddenly, there were loud knocks on the door. "No." They walked out to the back patio. Gwen looked at him.

"How does this work exactly?"

"Just put your hands around my neck." They left.

Mary Jane noticed something in the sky. "We're too late," she said to Ben.

"No, we're not," Ben said. "Come on!"

Gwen smiled to herself.


	78. Going Back

**Chapter Twelve**

_Going Back_

Peter and the Gwen clone were at the building where the wedding of Peter and Gwen was held. Gwen looked at Peter. "Wow, they really fixed this up after the Goblin's attack!"

"Yeah, they did. " Peter frowned at her. "You're not Gwen. You're a clone…"

"Everything will be back to normal, Parker," "Gwen" smiled. "Very soon…"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz looked at Mary Jane. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive or my name isn't… isn't… Keri Frell," Mary Jane said as she adjusted her wig.

"What's Ben's new identity," Ned asked.

"My new identity is Mike Evans," Ben answered.

"Well, this little wedding plan of yours better work," Liz said. "If anything happens to Peter…"

"Nothing's going to happen to Peter," Mary Jane answered. "I won't let it. Come on, Ben." Mary Jane and Ben left the car.

"Why are you here today," the person at the front desk asked Mary Jane and Ben.

"Well," Mary Jane said. "We decided to elope. It sounds crazy, but we want to get married right now. See…" She pointed to their wedding clothes. "We're all ready."

"Well, I hate to break it to you two lovebirds, but the wedding room is busy today."

"Oh, good," Mary Jane said. "A double wedding! Oh, how romantic! Our wedding day will be shared with another couple who found their soul mate in each other! Isn't that romantic, Mike?"

"She's a hopeless romantic lunatic, isn't she," the person asked Mike.

"Yes, sometimes, but I love her."

"Well, then, go ahead. It's on the third floor."

"Thank you," Ben said. He and Mary Jane left. The person at the front desk looked suspicious. Seconds later, somebody came down the stairs. The person looked at them. "May I help you?"

"You know who I am, Warren." It was Gwen.

"Why are you down here? Are you crazy?"

"No. Nobody takes the stairs these days."

"Well, I just sent two hopeless romantic people up the elevator."

"Why did you do that?" Gwen frowned.

"Listen, Goblin, it looks more on the up and up if I send another couple up there. Trust me, they don't know a thing besides the fact that they're in love or they think they're in love, anyway. Also…" Warren smiled. "Peter Parker's death can be blamed on them."

Gwen smiled at him. "Speaking of him, he's probably wondering where his little bride clone is. Well, I'm sorry, Warren, but I have to go." Gwen left.

When Gwen arrived again, Peter looked at her. "Where were you?"

"Oh, I was talking to the guy at the front desk. He was confused about the hotel arrangements…" She rolled her eyes. "You know."

"Okay…"

"Trust me, my brain is just a little… different," Gwen shrugged and smiled.

"You sound like Liz."

"Peter…"

"Oh, I love you!" Gwen and Peter were startled. They turned around to see a couple preparing for their wedding day. The couple looked at them. "Oh, how nice," Mary Jane said. "There's another couple here! Oh, Mike, isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes, it is," Ben, as Mike, answered. "Who are you two?"

"I'm a clone of Gwen Parker and he's Peter Parker," Gwen answered. "The better question is, who are you?"

"He's Mike Evans and I'm Keri Frell," Mary Jane answered. Gwen gave her an annoyed look. "Oh, don't let us bother you. We'll go into the other room." Mary Jane and Ben left. She turned to Ben. She started to tear up. "We can't save him! He's trapped!"

"We'll save him, Mary Jane," Ben answered. "Hold on, I have an idea." They walked back into the room where Gwen and Peter stood. Gwen shot them another look of annoyance. "Oh, don't mind us," Ben said. "We left our party favors on the table." Gwen turned back to Peter.

"I'm scared," Gwen shuddered.

"You have nothing to worry about," Peter smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me on this."

"Oh, Peter, thank you. I'm not scared anymore." Gwen slowly raised a dagger. Suddenly, something hit her.

"Oh, Gwen, congratulations, you caught the bouquet." Mary Jane said in her Keri voice. Then, her voice went back to normal. "Except, you're not going to be getting married."

"Miss Watson, you have stopped my plans for the last time," an angry Gwen said.

"What's going on," Peter asked.

"Peter, Norman possessed Gwen. He is the goblin."

Gwen ran after Mary Jane. Mary Jane tried to figure out what to do. When she had finally lost Gwen, she ran onto the roof. She was surprised to see that Ben was standing there. He looked at her. "We have to destroy Gwen's body."

"What do you mean?"

"If we don't, her body will just be used as a way for Warren and Norman to try to communicate with Peter."

"I guess that your motto was right. To take care of a problem, you truly have to take care of it." She paused. "Where's Peter?"

"He's on the ground. Don't worry, he's safe. Besides, Norman is after you and me now."

"How exactly are we going to destroy Gwen's body?"

"With this," he answered. He pulled something out of his pocket. It was one of the miniature bombs that the goblin had. "His own weapon is going to be used against him." He heard a noise. "She's coming. Quick, put your arms around my neck."

"Well," Gwen said while looking at them, "I see that you made this really easy for me, didn't you?"

"Actually," Ben answered, "We made this really easy for ourselves." He threw it towards her. He and Mary Jane jumped off the roof. Ben looked at Mary Jane. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She turned around as Gwen's body was turned to ashes. "I need to check on Peter." She walked over to Peter. "Peter, are you okay?"

"Uh…" He paused. Suddenly, Liz and Ned came over.

"We'll take him home, Mary Jane," Liz said. "Then, I want to see you." Liz frowned at her. Mary Jane rushed back over to Ben.

"I guess I should've asked you if you were okay."

"I won't be okay until I know your answer to something."

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Ben…"

"Listen… I know that Gwen and Peter had a rough time at their wedding, but that shouldn't be your deciding factor in this…"

"It isn't… you didn't let me finish… yes." They kissed.

When Mary Jane went over to Liz's apartment later that day, Liz wasn't happy to see her. "What were you thinking?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Who told you that you had to destroy Gwen's body? Let me guess, it was Ben, right?"

"Look, Liz," Mary Jane said as she sat down, "Warren and Norman were using Gwen to try to torture Peter…"

"You didn't have to destroy her! There are other ways. You're starting to act just like Ben." Liz noticed the ring on her finger. "Don't tell me…"

"Yes, Liz, we got engaged. I was happy for you when you told me about your engagement to Ned. I expected the same out of you."

"Uh… when are you getting married?"

"Soon… very soon… sooner than you and Ned are."

"Mary Jane, are you sure about this?"

"Liz, don't blame Ben for accomplishing what Peter was never able to do. Peter had his chance…"

"His chance was ruined by tragedy, Mary Jane, don't you understand that?"

"I do understand that. As much as I mourn Peter's lost chance, I welcome Ben's new chance…"

"As what? The Scarlet Spider? What a name."

"It's not anymore ridiculous than Spider-man. Liz…" Mary Jane paused. "I hope that one day you'll be able to acknowledge Ben as a true hero." Mary Jane left.


	79. (Dis)engagement Party

**Chapter Thirteen**

_(Dis)engagement Party_

Liz and Ned were preparing to walk into the room. "Ned Leeds, former reporter who interrogated people and now, president of George's Point, is scared of his own engagement party?"

"I just never know what to say at these things."

"Trust me… you'll know." She smiled. They kissed. Then, they walked into the room. Marion walked right up to them.

"Ned, oh, Ned, congratulations!"

"Thank you, mother."

"Well, Ned, this is as good a time as any to discuss the wedding preparations with Claire."

"I do have a lot of guests to see…"

"Nonsense. It will only take a minute…"

"Trust me, Ned," Claire said. "It'll be just a minute."

"Isn't that just like Claire," Marion said. "She's always so organized and time efficient and…" She paused. "Oh, by the way, Liz, I saw that Watson friend of yours. I told her that her planning services for the wedding were no longer needed. She wants to talk to you. Don't worry, we'll take excellent care of Ned."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Liz said very dryly. She looked at Ned. "I'll be back."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Mary Jane saw Liz coming over. "Liz, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," Mary Jane said.

"I'm sorry, too," Liz said.

"Does that mean that you changed your mind about Ben?"

"Not a chance," Liz said. She smiled.

"Listen, about the other, no mother-in-law fires me for their future daughter-in-law's wedding planning."

"I agree with you. Now, how about firing future mother-in-laws?"

"Well, that is definitely an option to consider." Suddenly, Ben came over. Liz looked at him.

"Uh, I'll see you two later," Liz said.

Ben looked at Mary Jane. "Is all quiet on the western front?"

"Oh, sure, everything is quiet now, however, get prepared for an old fashioned shoot down."

"Can I have everybody's attention, please," someone said. Everybody turned around to see John. "Thank you. I just wanted to give a short speech congratulating the future bride and groom. I'm going to be honest with all of you people. I don't really know Ned from Adam. Liz, I know a little better." He paused. "Wait a minute, why am I the one giving a pre-wedding speech? Everybody saw how my wedding turned out. So, Ned and Liz, if your wedding is a publicity stunt, then I'm sorry that I spoiled your plans." He smiled. "Liz was a former reporter and now she's the vice president of George's Point. However, she's about to face her greatest challenge yet… having a mother-in-law." John paused again while the audience laughed. However, Ned, Marion, Claire and Liz weren't laughing. "Then, there's Ned. I guess my only real knowledge of Ned before I met Liz was from watching the cheesy, Hallmark-ish commercials about George's Point. But, seriously… Liz and Ned, I wish you the best." He paused again. "To the future." Liz looked at him in disbelief. John left the room. Liz followed him out to the balcony.

"John, I know that your wedding was a publicity stunt, but some weddings do actually mean something, you know."

"Liz…"

"How dare you make fun of Ned that way!?"

"Liz, I know that Marion hasn't been easy to handle and Ned definitely needed a wakeup call about that." He sighed. "Liz, do you remember that one time that I thought I was the murderer…"

"John." Liz paused. "You're normal, trust me…"

"What if I'm not? After Warren attacked me…"

"John, an attack from Warren is stressful for anybody, trust me, I know. However, I won't let him convince you that you're a murderer."

"Liz…" He paused. "You've always been there for me. If you ever need me, I'll always be there for you…"

Liz looked at him. "Well…" Liz and John turned around. It was Ned. "Well, John, I think that you'll be happy to find out that I straightened Marion out."

"Really," Liz said.

"Liz, there are no guarantees. She's still convinced that Claire is the one for me. However, I'm definitely convinced otherwise." Liz and Ned left.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday." Mary Jane turned around to see Peter.

"Peter! Oh! Thank goodness! I thought that you would be angry at me!"

"I was, MJ. However, I thought it over, and I discovered that you were just trying to help me. Also, you were trying to protect Gwen's name, so how can I be angry with you about that?"

"I'm just so grateful you're here!"

"I am, too. Where's Liz? I need to talk to her."

"She's over there." Mary Jane pointed to where Liz was.

"Thank you." Peter walked over to Liz. "Liz, I decided something. I'm going to give you away on your wedding day."

"Are you sure?"

"Liz, you were always my best friend and I want to make it up to you."

"Oh, thank you Peter!"

Aunt May was walking through the room when a butler walked up to her. "May I help you?"

"Actually…" She paused. "My surrogate son, Peter, keeps telling me that I'm too old to clean the house. Would you be available to…" She paused. "I promise. There will be decent hourly wages."

"I just turned in my two weeks' notice to my old boss. This is the last event that I'm serving as butler for her."

"Oh." She paused. "You two didn't get along?"

"No. However, I've heard that a lot about Marion…"

"If Marion was your old boss, that's very understandable. What's your name?"

"Robert Jarden."

"Well, Robert Jarden, you'll start working for me next Monday."

"What's your name?"

"May Parker."

"Well, May Parker, I'll try not to be late."

"You better not be."

Ben looked at Mary Jane. "What was that about?"

"What?"

"Your conversation with Peter?"

"Trust me, Ben, it was nothing." Mary Jane looked at him. "He was thanking me for honoring Gwen's legacy. He's a lot like you, you know."

"Trust me, Mary Jane, Peter and I are not alike."

"You never know." Mary Jane smiled at him.

Liz looked at Ned. "Listen, I wanted to thank you…"

"There's nothing to thank me for, Liz. John was right. He was right all along. I just never really thought about what my mom was trying to do to us." He paused again. "Liz, I know that I can be a rash decision maker sometimes and that I make a lot of decisions that I regret, but I never regretted getting engaged to you. I love you and that is all that matters." They kissed. Suddenly, Ned started to slump. Liz looked at him.

"Ned!"

"Liz, don't wake him up, please!" Ben was behind him. "I had to sedate him."

"What are you doing?"

"There's no time to explain. I have to protect him. You should get away from the entrance!" Ben pulled Ned away. Liz raced over to Mary Jane.

"What in the world is your fiancé doing?"

"Liz, the spider sense… Ben knows that there's danger."

"What kind of danger?"

"Well, so where is the lucky groom, huh?" Everybody turned around to see Warren as the Jackal. "Or should I say unlucky? Overall, where is Ned Leeds?"

Mary Jane pushed Liz away from her. Warren noticed Mary Jane. "Well, maybe Miss Watson could tell me where Ned Leeds is." He walked over to her.

"You're never going to find him."

"Miss Watson, you're as useful to me as you are to your friends. In other words, step aside so I can find somebody useful." He looked around. "Liz Richardson…"

"Don't you dare go after her!"

"Mary Jane, did you really think that you could control me?" Warren walked towards Liz. "Well, the future bride-to-be better know where her own fiancé is, otherwise there's a problem."

"The only problem that Ned and I have right now is you."

"You're hilarious. Come with me, Liz. I need some fresh air."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Liz said as she pushed him away.

"Wouldn't you like to think that?"He started to lead her towards the balcony. Then, he looked towards the crowd. "Poor Gwen Stacy died after she was forced off of the Brooklyn Bridge." Then, he looked at Liz. "Did you ever wonder what it was like for Gwen?" He pushed her. Liz screamed as she fell towards the street. Suddenly, something stopped her. She was expecting to see Ben, but instead she saw John.

"John… how… what… why…"

"Liz, I jumped after you. Using one hand, I got a stable hold on the balcony. Using my other hand, I grabbed your hand. I couldn't let you…" He paused.

"Thank you." She sighed. "Wait a minute, is Ned okay?"

"He's okay. Ben is still with him."

"Where's Warren now?"

"I don't know. He left. C'mon, I'll help you up."


	80. Green Bride

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Green Bride_

Liz looked at Mary Jane. "Wow, I know that you said that you would be getting married quickly, but I never imagined this quickly…"

"Well, Liz, the room is available and I found a wedding dress… so…"

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?"

"Liz, I'm positive. Well, you're sure that you're doing the right thing about Ned, right?" Mary Jane paused. "This is about Peter, isn't it?"

"Mary Jane, he's been hurt so much and…" Liz paused. "Look, Mary Jane, you've been the only person in his life who seemed to help him after we lost Gwen…" She paused again.

"Liz, Peter will be okay, trust me." Mary Jane turned around. "Uh, Liz, could you get my bouquet? I think I left it downstairs."

"Uh, sure, Mary Jane." Liz left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

After Liz brought the bouquet to Mary Jane, Mary Jane was surprised by more guests. "Ben! What are you doing up here?"

"Who needs superstition when you have love?"

"That's weird," Mary Jane said. She frowned.

"What?"

"That's what Peter said… when he got married"

"Well, what do you know? Parker and I have something in common after all."

"I guess you do." Mary Jane looked at the woman with strawberry blonde hair who was standing next to him. "Who is she?"

"Mary Jane, this is my best friend, Pepper Potts."

"You have something else in common with Peter," Mary Jane said.

"What?"

"Both of you pick super smart friends like Liz Richardson and Pepper Potts." She turned to Pepper. "So, I heard from all of the media outlets that you're Tony Stark's long suffering secretary?"

"Long suffering secretary indeed," Pepper said. She laughed.

"Pepper? Pepper?" Everyone turned around to see Tony Stark coming up the stairs. "Ah, there you are? Why didn't you tell me that you were going on vacation?"

"I did. Also, I said that I was going to a friend's wedding."

"Who told you that you could take a day off?"

"You did."

"Well, I wasn't thinking at that time. Pepper, I need your help."

"If you ever turned the music down in your workshop, then you could hear me. Your birthday is April…"

"No, not with my birthday for once. I need you to help me locate a Liz Richdodson…"

"Liz Richardson," Mary Jane asked.

"Yeah, that's the one. How do you know her?"

"I'm her friend."

"Well, where is she? I want to talk business with her. I understand that she's a co-owner of George's…" He paused.

"George's Point."

"Right… George's Point."

"Liz is never going to sell George's Point."

"We'll see about that… Miss… Miss…"

"Watson."

"Miss Watson, I am going to make your friend an offer that she can't refuse. Well, I'll see all of you later." Tony left. Pepper looked at Mary Jane.

"I'm so sorry about that. Tony can be a little bit… intrusive at times."

"That's okay. Nobody has power over their bosses. So, how long were you and Ben best friends?"

"Actually, Mary Jane," Ben said. "We have been friends as long as Liz and Peter have been friends."

"Isn't that ironic," Mary Jane said. Suddenly, somebody else walked in.

"I came in here to congratulate the bride," Ned said.

"Oh, okay, sure," Ben said. "Pepper, why don't I show you the reception room?" Pepper and Ben left. Ned looked at Mary Jane.

"Liz told me about what happened. Mary Jane, I don't blame you."

"Ned…" Mary Jane paused. "Our personalities have always been very similar and…"

"Under different circumstances, I know that you and Peter would've ended up together."

"You mean if there was no Gwen and no Ben…"

"Those were the different circumstances that I meant. Mary Jane, every time that I see you and Ben together…" He paused again. "I know that you two are meant to be together. I've always respected Ben for picking up Spider-man's work as the Scarlet Spider. Liz just had a difficult time adjusting after Gwen's death and during Peter's mourning.

_If you only knew_, Mary Jane thought to herself. Instead, she said, "Thank you, Ned."

"Well, don't thank me entirely. It's easy to talk to someone who has your similar personality." He paused. "I'm going to try to find Liz." He left.

Peter was in his apartment. He thought about how angry he was at Mary Jane because she helped to try to destroy his wedding day. _If only I could destroy her wedding_, he thought to himself. Then, he remembered how helpful she was the last couple of days. He thought for a second. Then, he noticed something on the floor. It was a package that had a label on it. The package read "Venomous Symbiote."

Mary Jane smiled at Ned as he led her down the steps. When they arrived at the front, the ceremony began. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Ben Reilly and Mary Jane Watson…"

Peter looked at the symbiote. It was a black, sticky substance. The substance started to crawl onto his skin.

"You may now kiss the bride." Ben and Mary Jane kissed amongst the applause. Everyone headed over for the reception.

At the reception, Liz looked at Tony. "No dice," she said.

"Miss Richardson, you're going to regret not taking this offer."

"No, you're wrong, Tony. What I would regret would be abandoning my friend's mission."

"Well, I'm here in case you change your mind," he said. He started to leave. "If you ever want to abandon this sentimental journey…" He paused. "You know where to find me." He left.

Meanwhile, Robert came over to Aunt May. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay." He paused. Then, he put his arm around her. She looked at him. He quickly removed his arm. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"Robert?"

"Yes?"

"I never asked for an apology." She looked at him. He put his arm around her again.

Mary Jane and Ben were dancing. Suddenly, the power went out. Ben looked at her. "Don't worry. I'll figure out what's going on…" He started to walk around. Suddenly, something crashed through the window.

"Ben, watch out," Mary Jane screamed as the figure was preparing to land towards him. However, the warning came too late, as the impact of the figure caused Ben to faint. Mary Jane rushed over to him. "Ben… Ben…" Suddenly, the figure came over to her. Using one hand, he picked her up. He used his other hand to whisk some of the venom out of the building. Using the venom rope, he left with Mary Jane.

Liz looked at Ben when he came to. "Ben, you have to save her! If what happened to Gwen happens to her, then…" Ben glared at her.

"Liz, don't you think that I know that better than anybody? Listen, nothing is going to happen to her! I'm going to find her!" Ben started to leave.

"Ben, be careful," Pepper called out.

"Pepper, I have to do what I have to do!" Ben left. Tony walked over to Pepper.

"Why didn't you tell me that weddings of your friends were _this_ interesting?" Pepper glared at him.

The figure ended up in Warren's Fortress with Mary Jane. Mary Jane's eyes opened. Her eyes were now a glowing green color. She smiled.


	81. Never Ending Trouble

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Never Ending Trouble_

Liz looked at Ned. They were at George's Point. "Any sign of them yet?"

"No. If I see anything on the radar, I'll let you know."

"Ben better find her…"

"Liz, Ben is looking! Give the poor guy a break. I know you're disappointed about what happened to Gwen and what Peter went through, but please don't take it out on Ben. He doesn't deserve it."

Peter looked at Mary Jane. "I know you must think this is crazy, but I needed you. I needed your help; I needed your advice…" He paused.

"You know, Parker, a friend of mine once said that sanity was an overrated concept."

"Mary Jane, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, but I'm not Mary Jane." She paused. "Face it, tiger, you just hit the jackpot!"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Ned looked at Liz. "Liz, it isn't Warren this time."

"How do you know that? Just because the wedding attacker wasn't in the Jackal suit doesn't mean that it wasn't Warren…"

"Where was Peter on the night of the wedding," Ned asked.

"Why?"

"Well, you said that he was getting kind of attached to Mary Jane and…"

"Ned, I don't believe this! You defended Ben, yet you can't defend Peter?"

"Liz, I'm just trying to figure out where Mary Jane is. I came for you on your wedding day to Harry, didn't I?"

"That was different."

"How?"

"Harry and I weren't in love… real love, anyway."

"Then Ben and Mary Jane's love is real?"

"I didn't say that. Ben and Mary Jane rushed into something…"

"That's not what you meant originally. Look, Liz, I'm also concerned for Peter's well being, but Ben and Mary Jane deserve to have a life." Ned left.

"It's been awhile since we talked, Parker," Mary Jane said. She looked at the dress. "Although, I do have to give Miss Watson credit on the wedding dress that she chose. White, off the shoulder, with a bow in the middle and the bow has long strands…" She looked at Peter. "It's so easy to walk in." She walked towards Peter.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"It's been a long time, Parker. I mean, the last time I saw you, I was pretending to be your little bride, and so it's been a long time since I talked to you as me." She looked at him. "I believe that our last conversation was at the Brooklyn Bridge. That conversation went very well for me, not so well for you didn't it?" She paused. "You know, I did you a favor by killing her. What kind of life would you have had together anyway, Parker? C'mon, you can be honest with me. She would've had to live with the knowledge that her husband murdered her father."

"George Stacy's death was an accident," Peter said sternly.

"Right, an accident. Okay, I can play your game, Parker. Gwen's death was also an accident. I mean, nobody dies from whiplash from the shock of a web strand, right?" She smiled. "Oh, and never mind that all of her free time was used up trying to preserve her dead father's legacy through that ridiculous place called George's Point. Gwen Stacy was better off dead." Suddenly, Peter grabbed her neck. Mary Jane smiled at him. "Go ahead, Spider-man, kill me. I mean, a problem is only taken care of when it is taken care of, right? Besides, you aren't killing me; you're killing my hostess, Mary Jane Watson." Peter started to let her down. "I always knew that you didn't have it in you to kill me." She smiled. "Well, since you brought me here, let me take you somewhere. I insist." She smiled again.

Ned walked back into the room. "Liz, I'm sorry. I never should've…"

"Ned, you're okay. Believe me… our argument was over nothing… I mean, we both have different opinions on it, so…" Liz paused. "Ned, let's look at the Brooklyn Bridge."

"Why the Brooklyn Bridge?"

"Wouldn't any villain absolutely love to repeat Gwen's wedding death, only this time with Mary Jane?"

Peter was slowly waking up… on the Brooklyn Bridge. He looked at Mary Jane. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Isn't it obvious," she asked. "I'm going to remake your worst nightmare. So long, Parker." She closed her eyes. Then, she smiled. She folded her arms. Then, she fell backwards. Suddenly, something broke her fall. The real Mary Jane woke up.

"Ben!" She looked around. "Where am I?"

"I'll explain it to you later. We missed our flight, but that's not a problem. We'll still get to the honeymoon destination." They left. Peter looked astounded. The onlookers were amazed.

"Did you see that? The Scarlet Spider accomplished something that Spider-man could never do!"

"I know! He jumped after her instead of using a web strand to break her fall!"

Liz walked over by Peter's side. "C'mon, Peter, I'll take you home."

When Liz and Peter arrived at Peter's apartment, Liz looked at him. "Peter, I have so many questions right now that…"

"Liz, I know what you're thinking, but…"

"Peter…" She walked over to him. "I trust you. Now, what happened? First off, why was Mary Jane with you?"

"Liz…" He paused. Then, he walked over to another corner of the room. He pointed to something. "This is something called a venomous symbiote or…" He handed it to her. Liz looked at it.

"Weird, yes, but what's the point?"

"It attached to my skin. Before that happened, I was originally angry about Mary Jane trying to ruin my wedding… and I wanted to ruin hers…" He paused again. "However, I remembered how Mary Jane was trying to help me these last couple of days and I really appreciated that and…" He paused again.

"You're in love with Mary Jane, aren't you?"

"I never thought I would feel this way about anybody again after Gwen died." He paused again. "Especially not Mary Jane. However, once all of her play acting was done and her personality came out, then…" He paused again.

"What happened after this weird substance stuck to you?"

"That substance has the same effect on me that the necklace had on Mary Jane. I couldn't control my actions…" He paused again. "Then, the Goblin possessed her and…" He paused again. "I almost killed him, Liz. He was trying to ridicule Gwen and he was trying to insinuate that Gwen was better off dead…" He paused again. "Then, he took me to the Brooklyn Bridge where he tried to kill Mary Jane and Ben rescued her…"

"Peter…" Liz paused. "He was counting on Ben rescuing her. Now, there's going to be a public outcry against Spider-man because the Scarlet Spider was able to save the damsel in distress from a Brooklyn Bridge death and…" She paused again. She was trying to change the subject. "You said that this venomous stuff made you lose some emotional control?"

"Yes?"

"It has to be destroyed." Liz walked over to the fireplace. She tried to throw it in. Suddenly, it attached to her skin.

"Liz, you need to get it off," Peter warned.

"I'm trying!" Suddenly, Liz looked up. Her eyes turned silver. She turned to Peter. "So, Peter, how does it feel to be a clone?" She pushed him away. Peter came over to her again. He removed the venomous symbiote. He threw it into the fire. Then, he looked at Liz.

"Liz, are you okay?"

"Peter…" Liz looked confused. "What happened?"

"You were possessed… I'm guessing by Warren… because your eyes were silver and you were talking about clones." He paused. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Peter, of course I'm okay." She paused. "I have to go." She left. There was a knock on the door. Peter opened the door to find Tony Stark.

"Yes, Parker, I know you're wondering what I'm doing here. I noticed that you were the widower of Gwen Stacy. She has a piece of land called George's Point and you're probably a co-owner so…" He paused. "Let me get to the point. I want to use George's Point as an expansion point for Stark Industries."

"I would never do that to Gwen," Peter answered. He closed the door. Tony frowned.

"What is it with these people," he said to himself.


	82. If I Could Save You

**Chapter Sixteen**

_If I Could Save You_

Ned was running after one of Warren's men. Finally, he caught up with him. The man smiled at him. He handed him a piece of paper. Ned looked at the paper. Inscribed on the paper were the words Liz Richardson, Warren. Ned frowned at the man. "Where did you get this?" The man didn't answer him. Instead, he smiled at him. "Tell me now," Ned yelled while he grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"Ned," Peter shouted. Ned turned around to look at him. "Let him go! The police will handle him!" Ned gave the man to the police. Peter looked at Ned. "I'm worried about you, Ned."

"I have to call Liz," Ned said while almost ignoring Peter's statement.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate a life that impacted a lot of people." Pepper looked around as the eulogy was read. Sure, as Tony's secretary, she had been assigned to handle a lot of strange things, but this was different. The funeral home had needed her assistance at the last minute because the person who normally did the job was on vacation. They figured that if she could handle Tony Stark, then she could handle this. She looked at James Stacy, the husband of the deceased. She felt sorry for him, but she knew that all of the funeral arrangements had to be done in a business manner. She walked over to him.

"I'm so sorry about Nancy."

"Pepper…" He paused. "May I call you Pepper?"

"Sure."

"Pepper, when you lose your brother, niece and wife all in a short period of time…" He paused. "Sometimes, I don't know how I go on." He paused while he tried to change his facial expression. "So, uh, you're, uh, Tony Stark's secretary?" He looked skeptical.

"Oh, no, no, nothing like that. Well, I am his secretary, however, I do not endorse his reputation or the things he does. I'll quit as soon as I can find a psychology job."

"Good." He paused. "No offense, but a woman like you shouldn't be working for a man like Tony Stark."

"Thank you." Pepper paused. "Well, if there's anything you need, I'll be in the reception room." She left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz was going through files at George's Point when Ned called her. "Ned? What are you doing?"

"The better question is what are you doing? Are you all right?"

"I'm going through files at George's Point. You were going to help me with it, remember?"

"Liz, you need to leave. Warren is after you. It's not safe for you to stay there." He paused again. "I don't want you to be alone. Go with somebody you can trust."

"I want to be with you, Ned."

"Liz, it's not safe. I need to investigate this and you'll be in more danger if you come with me." He paused again. "What about Ben?"

"Ned, Ben and Mary Jane are on their honeymoon. Besides, Ben and I don't get along that well." She paused. "What about Peter?"

"Liz, he's trying to go through his own issues and besides, Peter wouldn't hurt a fly."

"John," Liz said.

"What, Liz, are you crazy? John Jameson?"

"Listen, Ned, this was your idea."

"He runs an asylum, though."

"Look, Ned, if he can run an asylum, then he should be able to protect me."

"Okay, just stay safe." Ned hung up.

John was surprised to see Liz. He looked at what Liz was wearing. "Is this a costume party or…"

"Sorry about the weird looking robe. Ned insisted on it for my safety." She removed the robe's hood. "Listen, I'm so sorry about this. Ned is just being silly now and…"

"Liz, you're fine. I understand why he wants to protect you."

"Thank you."

James turned to Pepper. "Pepper, you remind me a lot of my niece. I don't know if you ever heard of Gwen Stacy, but…"

"Actually, I have heard of Gwen Stacy. I admired her dedication to George's Point and her dedication to protecting the people. I also admired her strength to turn the tragedy of her father's death into something better." Pepper paused. James looked at her.

"Do you want to go on vacation with me?"

"I'll, uh, see you later, James." Pepper looked uneasy.

"No, nothing like that, Pepper. Trust me, I'm not one of those guys who after their wife dies, they pick some young woman. I always wanted to take Gwen on vacation and I never got that opportunity. Please, it would be the trip of a lifetime."

"Thank you for the offer," Pepper said. "However, I couldn't abandon my boss without giving him a two weeks' notice. He'd be so lost without me. Sometimes, he can't even remember his own birthday." She laughed. "No, I can't do that to Tony."

_Later…_

"Pepper, did I get any messages," Tony asked.

"Uh, Miss Everhart called again. She's wondering why you're not calling her…"

"Oh, so, she didn't get the message after you kicked her out the other night?"

"I wouldn't have had to kick her out if you hadn't had brought her home."

"Well, that's your job, isn't it?" Tony looked at a calendar. "Oh, by the way, happy birthday. Could you run to the dry cleaner to get my suit? Please thoroughly inspect it. It has to look great for tonight's gala…"

"Tony," Pepper said abruptly. "I quit."

"You can't quit without a two weeks' notice."

"Unfortunately, I already did," Pepper said. She left. When she arrived at the hotel that James was staying at, he was very happy to see her.

"I'm so glad that you decided to accept my offer."

"Trust me, so am I."

John looked at Liz. "So, why isn't Ned protecting you? Let me guess, he told you not to call, write, text, whatever…"

"Something like that," Liz said. She laughed. "Thank you for the meal."

"I hope you don't mind leftovers," John said as he picked up a knife.

"No, leftovers are fine… John!" Liz rushed over to him.

"Trust me, Liz, I'm fine."

"John, let me see. Accidentally cutting yourself with a knife is nothing to take lightly." Liz looked at his hand. "You're not bleeding." She looked shocked.

"I told you I was fine," John said. The doorbell rang. "I'll get that." John walked over to the door. Suddenly, John was held at knife point. The man stabbed John. John pushed him away. The man disappeared.

"John!" Liz rushed over to him. Her eyes were starting to water. "This is my entire fault. If I hadn't come here, then…" She looked at him. "You're not bleeding again. That's impossible." She looked at him.

"Liz, do you remember when you told me that when Warren attacked you that you gained super intelligence?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when Warren attacked me, I gained super strength."

_Later…_

Liz looked out of the window of John's living room. "Do you want some company," John asked. Liz nodded. "Your arms are folded and you're not happy about something. What," John said. He looked at Liz. "Liz, you can talk to me."

"I'm just…" She paused. Her eyes were starting to water. "I'm just worried about Ned. What if Warren concocted this big scheme as a way to kill Ned? Maybe he thought that if he distracted Ned enough that he would be able to kill Ned." John hugged her.

"Liz, it's going to be okay."

"All I ever wanted was to have a normal life. Also, Ned wouldn't be in this danger if he had never met me…"

"Liz, listen to me. You, Ned, and I are leading normal lives. Sure, out of the ordinary stuff happens every once in a while. This would be still happening if Ned had never met you, trust me. He would still be after Ned." John paused. "Liz, I'm here for you, trust me. I'll always be there for you."

"Thank you, John." She paused. "Even if Ned survives this, Warren still won't let Ned and I be together." John paused. He didn't know what to say.


	83. The Scarlet Speech

**Chapter Seventeen**

_The Scarlet Speech_

Ben, as the Scarlet Spider, and Mary Jane were returning from their honeymoon. "I bet that you've never seen New York from this angle."

"Trust me; I've seen New York from _several_ angles. From Broadway to politics to weird taxis to fire hydrants…"

"I wasn't aware that I had a fan base." Several people were waving them down. He swung down.

"Scarlet Spider, everyone is anxiously awaiting your answer. How were you able to save Miss Watson…?"

"Mrs. Reilly," Mary Jane corrected them.

"How were you able to save Mrs. Reilly from falling to her death after she fell off the Brooklyn Bridge?" The man paused. "Obviously, Spider-man wasn't able to accomplish that."

"Can I use your podium?"

"Sure." Ben walked over to the podium.

"Gwen Stacy Parker would be alive today if I was the one who went after her that fateful day," Ben said.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

John looked at Liz. "So, is last night's dinner still good?"

"Definitely."

"Good. It better be."

"Trust me, it is…" Liz paused. She heard noise in the distance.

"Oh, that's the TV. It seems to come on randomly sometimes."

Liz walked over to the TV. "It seems that the Scarlet Spider is confident of his heroic abilities," the reporter said. "Listen to this."

"Gwen Stacy Parker would be alive today if I was the one who went after her that fateful day."

Liz looked at the TV in shock and disappointment. "We'll follow up with this story after this." John noticed her facial expression. "Liz, are you all right?"

"I, uh, I need to call Peter."

"Sorry, Liz, you can't. Ned told me that you weren't allowed to use the phone. I'm just following Lieutenant Leed's order."

"Why did he do that?"

"Do what?"

"Why did he attack the old Spider-man like that? That wasn't necessary."

"Liz, I know that you and the old Spider-man were friends, but don't take it to heart. Scarlet Spider or whatever he is didn't mean that. He's just trying to drum up publicity."

"I wish I could believe you." Suddenly, the news came back on. However, John and Liz were shocked to see who took over for the anchor.

"This is Warren. After hearing the Scarlet Spider's little statement today, I really want to know who he is. Don't you? Which is why, unless the Scarlet Spider reveals his identity, I will kill the original Spider-man and his friends." Liz turned to John.

"What are we going to do?"

"Give me a minute to think." Liz looked at him. "Okay, maybe two minutes."

Ned raced over to Ben's apartment. He knocked on the door. Mary Jane answered. "I need to see Ned."

"You and everybody else in America." She paused. "Come on in." Ned walked into the apartment. Ben was sitting on a sofa.

"Hi, Ned." He looked at both of them. "I've made a decision. I'm going to turn myself in."

"What? No!" Mary Jane rushed over to him. She hugged him desperately.

"Mary Jane…" He paused. "I can't let several innocent people die for me."

"I know what Liz says," Ned said. "However, the city needs you, Ben. The Scarlet Spider is a symbol of hope for the city."

"No, Ned, _you're_ a symbol of hope for the city." Ben paused. "You don't have to go around in a costume to get things accomplished. The city needs _you_." Ben paused again. "I'm not changing my mind."

John looked at Liz. "Well, since nothing seems to be happening on the TV, I'm going to take the trash out."

"Okay," Liz said. John left. Suddenly, Ned appeared on the TV. "Ned, what are you doing," Liz said to herself.

"I know that there has been a lot of worry about the Jackal's threat," Ned said. "However, I promise you that you will have a brighter future very soon." He paused. "I came here to turn myself in. The truth is…" Ned paused. "I am the Scarlet Spider." The police walked over to arrest him. "To the future," he weakly said before he turned away.

"Why didn't Ben stop him," Liz said to herself. She was in shock. She started to gather her things. John walked in.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to protect Ned," Liz answered. "He confessed to being the Scarlet Spider and…" She paused. "John, Ben Reilly is the Scarlet Spider. I have to stop Ned. Ned deserves to have his life." She started to leave.

"My job was to protect you. It's not safe for you to leave now."

"No, John, what's not safe is what Ben is trying to do to Ned." Liz paused. She was starting to get angry. She pulled something out of her bag. "Look, John, this is for you. I appreciate everything that you did for me." She left.

"Liz?" Ned was shocked to see Liz. "What are you doing here? Liz, it's not safe for you to be here."

"I couldn't let Ben do that to you," Liz answered.

"What is this about," one of the officers demanded. "Miss Richardson, are you trying to interrupt our day?"

"Ned Leeds isn't the Scarlet Spider."

"Nice try, Richardson. Fiancés don't tell their fiancées everything. Please leave, Miss Richardson."

"Look, I can prove it." Liz thought for a second. "Ned, shoot a web!"

"This is ridiculous," the officer said.

"Aren't you curious," Liz said. "Ned, shoot a web!" Ned mimicked the web hand motion but nothing happened.

"It could be just a coincidence," the officer said. "Maybe Leeds is just play acting."

"He came to you, didn't he," Liz said impatiently. "He was just trying to protect the public." She paused. "Ned, climb that wall!" Ned got out of the car. He walked over to the wall. After Ned's failed attempts, the officer looked at Liz.

"Okay, I believe you. Mr. Leeds is free to go."

"Thank you," Ned said to Liz. They kissed.

"I couldn't let them take you. I don't know what my life would be like without you."

"No, you don't know what my life would be like without you." He paused. "I got you something." He reached in his pocket. Then, he handed it to her. Liz looked at it.

"Broken heart?"

"No, my heart isn't full without you."

"I love you, Ned," Liz said. She paused. "There's one more thing that I have to do. I'll be right back." She left.

Mary Jane was surprised to see Liz. "Liz, what are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to your husband." Liz started to walk in.

"Liz, don't…"

"What do you think you're doing," Liz said to Ben. "First, you insult my friend by insinuating that his wife would still be alive if you went after her. Then, you try to use my fiancé as a bargaining chip to try to avoid having yourself arrested." She paused. "I can't believe you!" She left. Mary Jane walked over to Ben.

"Ben, I'm so sorry about that."

"MJ…"

"You called me MJ. Only Peter called me MJ before this."

"That's just a coincidence. You know that Peter and I are nothing alike…"

"Anyway, Mary Jane, I understand Liz."

"You do?"

"She's still grieving, but she doesn't know it. Also, since she's lost somebody already…" Ben paused. "She's worried about losing somebody else."


	84. (In)Sanity

**Chapter Eighteen**

_(In)Sanity_

"Ben…" Mary Jane said. "It's the weekend. Where are you? Are you ready for our weekend vacation?" She saw him in the living room downstairs. "They are you. C'mon, we're going to be late.

"I'm Peter," Ben said to himself.

"Oh, Ben, stop joking. Okay, I won't compare you to Peter anymore. I promise."

"Mary Jane, I am Peter. I came here because I wanted to see my Aunt May." He paused again. "My last name comes from May's maiden name, Reilly, and my name comes from my Uncle Ben." He paused. "Poor Peter's life has been a lie. He's been a clone all this time and…" He paused. "Mary Jane, Peter has to be destroyed."

"Ben, it's okay, Warren attacked you."

"No, he didn't." Ben looked concerned.

"It's going to be okay, Ben," Mary Jane said. "It's going to be okay." Although, she was trying to convince herself of this more than she was trying to convince Ben of this.

"Ned?" Liz was surprised to get a phone call from Ned early in the morning.

"Liz, I'm heading over to see John at the asylum."

"What for?"

"I want to learn how he's able to capture criminals. We haven't been able to capture Warren, yet, have we?"

"Ned…" Liz paused. "I'm not sure that this is a good idea. John's not really a big fan of visitors…"

"It'll be fine, Liz, relax. I love you." Ned hung up. He knocked on the door. Nobody answered. Ned slowly opened the door. "John? John?" Suddenly, a prisoner was running towards him.

"Help! I need help!" Ned looked puzzled. Suddenly, a figure came up behind the prisoner. The figure stabbed the prisoner. Ned looked at the figure in horror. "John?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz went over to visit Peter. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Did you ever feel like you're not yourself?"

"All the time," Liz said. "I tried to stop Ned from visiting John at the asylum today, but he wouldn't. Have you talked to her at all?" Liz looked at him.

"No, I haven't. It would be too awkward."

"She doesn't know who took her at her wedding, Peter." She paused. "The other day, I blew up at Ben about his little speech and about him trying to use Ned."

"What if he wasn't trying to use Ned?"

"Peter, get real." Liz sighed. Then, she smiled. "All I care about are my friends. I am not going to let some stranger use them." She paused. "With my upcoming wedding, you starting to become you once were again and supportive friends, things are finally starting to look better." Her phone rang. It was John. "John, hold on, what happened? I'll be right there." She hung up. Then, she looked at Peter. "I have to go. One of the prisoners tried to attack Ned."

When Liz got to the asylum, Ned was relieved to see her. "Liz!"

"I heard that you were quite the trooper."

"Liz, please do not make light of this."

"What do you mean?"

"John…" He paused.

"Ned, I agree with you. I'm glad that John was there." She looked at him. "Our love can survive anything."

"Liz, you're right. Our love can survive anything." He reached out to her. However, his arm brushed over a cup of coffee and the coffee spilled onto Liz. "Oh, no…"

"Ned, you're fine. I can go home and change in a minute."

"While you're gone, I'm going to thank John."

"That's a wonderful idea, Ned." Liz left.

John was hurriedly trying to take care of something when Ned walked up. Ned looked shocked. "So, I was right…"

"Ned…" John paused. He sedated Ned.

Mary Jane looked at Ben. "Are you ready? We have to catch our flight."

"Uh, sure, Mary Jane, sure…"

When Liz came back, Ned was very horrified by the earlier events. "I don't believe this! You're running an asylum when you should be in one!"

"Ned, what in the world is this about," Liz asked.

"Liz, John murdered somebody. I saw him with my own eyes."

"Ned, getting attacked by a prisoner is traumatic," John said. "I'll leave you two alone."

"I want to talk to you, John," Liz said. She left. "Look, I'm so sorry about Ned…"

"Liz, he was traumatized by the prisoner's attack. He's fine. If he needs anything, just let me know. I'm here for him."

"Thank you." Liz paused.

"What is it, Liz?"

"John…" She paused. "No, I don't want to ruin your day anymore than it already has been ruined. You don't deserve all of this drama…"

"You can talk to me. I'm always here for you. I've always been there for you, haven't I?"

"I'm…" She paused. Her eyes were starting to water. "I'm just so worried about Ned," Liz said. "Warren has been after him all of this time and I don't want Ned to lose his sanity over his position at George's Point. Even worse, I'm concerned about his life." She hugged John.

"It's going to be okay, Liz," John said. "Trust me." Ned frowned from his room.

Mary Jane and Ben were slowly waking up from their sedatives. Mary Jane looked around. "Where are we? There's the plane… and there's… Peter?"

"We're going to settle this issue once and for all," a familiar voice said.

"Warren?" Mary Jane was shocked.

"We're going to figure out who the clone is. Then, the clone has to be destroyed. After all, a problem is only taken care of if it is taken care of, right?"

Ned woke up. He had sedated Liz and himself so that both of them could rest. He looked to the chair next to him. Liz wasn't there. He started to panic. He ran out of the room. Then, he saw John. "What did you do with her," Ned demanded.

"Ned, what are you talking about?"

"Where's Liz? What happened?"

"Ned, I'm right here. I went to get some water." Liz hugged him. "You're okay, Ned. You're okay."

Ben looked at Peter. "You know, for once in my life, Peter, I agree with Warren. We have to settle this." He looked at him. "Peter, I'm so sorry. You're the clone. I'm the original. I'm so sorry, Peter." Peter stared at him for a second.

"You're not going to do this to me," he yelled. Then, he lunged towards him.

"No!" Mary Jane raced towards them, however, Warren held her back.

"You know, Mary Jane, I underestimated your usefulness. I mean, when I first heard of you, I doubted that you worth any emotional value to my victims. Well, I was wrong." He looked at her. "I regret that I judged you so quickly at the beginning."

"Warren…" Mary Jane paused. She sedated him with a sedative that she took from Peter. Then, she sedated Ben. She walked over to Peter. "Peter… I'm sorry about this, but I have to do this…" She sedated him. Then, with the help of the plane's captain, she dragged him onto the plane. The captain looked at her. "Where to?"

"Some faraway place."

"Is France far enough?"

"Definitely." Then, with the captain's help again, Mary Jane dragged Ben onto the plane. "However, take us home first." She frowned. Her eyes were starting to water. "What did you say that your name was," she asked the captain.

"Adrian Toomes," he answered. "Say, do you know anybody who needs a good gardener?"

"Well, a May Parker says that she needs a gardener. She says that her green thumb is retired due to old age," Mary Jane said. She laughed a little.

"May Parker, huh? Thank you, I'll remember that." They left.

John was taking the garbage out. Suddenly, something hit him. He turned around. It was Ned. "Ned, what are you…"

"John, Liz is going to find out the truth. I will protect her from you, I promise you that."

"Ned, you're just traumatized after you were attacked by the prisoner," John said. He sighed.

"You wish that were true, don't you?" Ned looked at him. Suddenly, he fell down. Liz was standing behind him.

"Liz…"

"I sedated him."

"Where did you get a sedative from?"

"Well…" She paused. "I borrowed it." She paused again. "From you."

"Thank you," John said. "Thank you for saving my life."

"I wanted to return the favor," she said. She smiled.

Ben woke up from the sedative. He was in his living room. Mary Jane was standing there. "Ben, you're all right!"

"Where's Peter?"

"Ben…" She paused. "Warren killed Peter. I'm just so grateful that you survived." She hugged him.

"I'm grateful that you survived," Ben said. They hugged again. While they hugged, Mary Jane frowned.

"Well, Ned, it's finally time to leave this place," Liz said. She started to head towards the door.

"I'm not leaving with you," Ned said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Liz, I was trying to ignore this for so long, but it's come to the surface."

"Ned, stop being silly."

"Stop saying that I'm being silly! I understand that you and Peter are best friends and I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is you and John."

"Ned, I love you."

"If you loved me, you would believe me. Also, if you really loved me, then why did you sedate me to protect somebody else?" He looked at her. Then, he left. Liz's eyes started to water.

"Well, at least we found out who the clone was." Ben paused. "Poor Peter. He was living a lie all this time."

"Ben, can we talk about something else, please?" Mary Jane turned away from him. She frowned.

Liz tried to call Ned. A message popped up on her phone. The message read: CALL BLOCKED. Liz's eyes watered. She looked out of the window.

John looked at an announcement in the paper. The announcement was about Liz and Ned's early rehearsal dinner. John looked at their smiling engagement picture together. He frowned.

May was surprised to hear a knock on the door. "Hello?"

"Ah, Mrs. Parker, I heard that you needed a good gardener." He paused. "Uh, Mrs. Reilly told me about you."

"Oh, okay." She paused. "I have one question. How are your gardening skills? My butler lacks the garden instinct."

"My gardening skills are as keen as a vulture's sight."

"You're hired."


	85. The Best Friend

**Chapter Nineteen**

_The "Best" Friend_

Liz was working at George's Point when she received a call from Marion. "Liz, I'm so sorry about you and Ned, however, I still want you to come to the rehearsal dinner."

"Marion, why are you still holding the rehearsal dinner," Liz asked between her teeth.

"Well, everything had been planned, so I'm imaging it more as a big party. I mean, today is your birthday, isn't it? Try to imagine it like a big birthday party for you."

"Marion…" Liz paused. "I don't know."

"Oh, Liz, I insist." Marion hung up.

When Liz arrived, Marion greeted her warmly. "Oh, Liz, I'm so glad you're here!" Then, Marion looked at something. Liz turned around to see what she was looking at. Ned was talking to Claire. "Isn't that great, Liz? It took awhile, but Ned and Claire are finally hitting it off."

"Marion," Liz said almost helplessly. "I'm going out to the balcony." Liz went out to the balcony. For a couple of seconds, she stared into space. Then, she heard a voice.

"Richardson, this is your birthday party, yet you don't seem to be enjoying it that much." It was Tony.

"What do you mean, Stark?"

"Well, you still have the microphone headpiece from George's Point on, so either you don't feel like celebrating or you decided to become a workaholic. Don't blame yourself if you quit. I mean, my secretary left me in a lurch without even giving me a two weeks' notice…"

"Tony…" Liz paused. "Just leave me alone."

"Liz, I know that you're becoming disillusioned. Just sell George's Point to me and…"

"I would never do that to Gwen."

"Well…" Tony paused. "I'm going on a trip. Since I'm going out of the country…" Tony paused while he pulled out a business card. "You'll need to know where to find me."

"I won't need to find you," Liz said as she removed the earpiece.

"You're quitting that easily?"

"Tony, I'm not quitting. I… I… just need a break." Liz left. She went to her apartment. When she arrived at her apartment, she collapsed on the bed.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Ned was surprised to hear a knock on his apartment door. He was even more surprised to discover that Liz was there to see him. "Ned, I got you breakfast. We really need to go over the wedding seating chart and RSVPs." She paused. "What's wrong?"

"Liz…" Ned tried to stay calm. "I wasn't really expecting to see you after our fight…"

"What fight? Oh, now I remember. Actually, now, I agree with you. Putting those two families on the same table wouldn't work. They wouldn't get along." Liz frowned. She looked at the RSVPs. "Ned, did Gwen send her RSVP to you because she hasn't sent one to me. I mean, why wouldn't Gwen RSVP?" Ned walked over to her.

"Liz…" He paused. "Gwen is… gone…"

"Gwen…" Liz briefly remembered Gwen's wedding. She remembered Gwen looking at her and Gwen saying, _Liz; you've been such a great maid of honor to me that I can only hope to be as good to you for your wedding_. Then, the memory was gone. Liz looked at Ned. "Gwen who?"

"Liz…" Ned paused. "What do you remember? You remember us, right?"

Liz thought back to the engagement party. She remembered Ned looking at her and saying, _Liz, from the moment we met, I knew that we were destined to be together_. Then, that memory was gone. Liz looked at Ned. "Who are you? I'm not going to let you get away with stealing things from my apartment."

"Liz, you need help. I can get you that help…"

"No, I need to leave." Liz left. She started to walk over to Peter's apartment. On the way, she bumped into John. "Oh, I'm sorry, John. I'm in a hurry…"

"Liz, we need to talk about what happened."

"John, I'm sorry that your wedding invitation got lost in the mail. You're still invited."

"Liz, Ned, disinvited me, remember?"

"Who's Ned?"

"Liz, first, I'll help you. Then, we need to talk."

"John, we can talk later. I'm on my way to see Peter."

Peter had sensed that something was wrong with Liz, so he came back to the States. Liz knocked on the door. Peter looked at her. "Liz, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, Peter…"

"Liz, could you wrap this up in a nutshell? You know how Jameson is."

"Do I?" Liz remembered the first time she met J.J.J. Jameson. She remembered him saying, _I could never publish your work, Richardson! Why are you even trying to be a journalist!?_

"Liz, what's wrong?"

"Peter, every time I try to remember something, I forget what I was trying to remember. I'm not sure about anything anymore."

"Look, Liz," Peter said. He paused. "I have to get going, but I do have my high school yearbook. Here, look at this page. We were voted Best Friends Forever." He paused again. "Liz, just look at that, don't leave and I'll be back when lunch break comes." He left. Meanwhile, Ned dropped by. He looked at Liz.

"How are you doing?"

"Uh, I'm doing okay."

"Do you remember who I am?"

"Uh, sure. Uh, I'll be in the basement." Liz left.

When Peter arrived from his lunch break, he was startled to find that Liz wasn't in the living room. "Liz? Liz?"

"I'm in the basement."

"What are you doing down here?"

"Nothing," Liz said as she quickly closed her workspace.

"Let me see that." Peter was shocked to discover that Liz had made up pages of everybody she knew in her life. "Liz, while I'm flattered to have a page that looks like a Wikipedia biography, you can't live like this."

"Yes, I can." She paused. "Go ahead, test me on a person."

"Ned Leeds?"

"Nice guy, head of George's Point, wears suits while he's working at George's Point." Liz frowned.

"How about emotionally?"

"I, uh, I don't know."

"Liz…" Peter looked at his watch. "When I get back from the work day, I'm getting you some help. Don't leave." Peter left. Suddenly, Ned came in again.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me enough to marry me?"

"I, uh…" Liz paused.

"Liz, I'm getting you some help. Come on." Ned left with Liz. Since he wasn't that familiar with Secret Hospital, he took her to Winberg Hospital. During a couple of standard tests that they ran on her, she remembered how she met Peter. She was a transfer student and she had went over to Peter's school during eighth grade. She remembered Peter looking at her files and asking, _What are those?_

_These are records of everything weird that happens. I guess that the weird, Twilight Zone-ish events of life intrigue me._

_ "Actually, those things intrigue me, too."_

That memory started to disappear, so Liz thought about how she knew Peter's identity. She remembered Sally on that day and her own shock at discovering Peter's alter ego. However, that memory also quickly disappeared. Then, she thought about one of the times that she visited John. It was dark in the asylum, so Liz was a little bit worried when she didn't see John. _John? John?_

_I'm here, Liz. _Her memory of that didn't disappear. She started to get up.

"What are you doing," the doctor demanded.

"I need to leave. I need to see somebody who I can trust."

John was surprised to see Liz. "Liz, what are you doing here?" She hugged him.

"John, I don't remember anything except for you."

"What about your own name," he asked.

"I remember that and I remember all of the school book stuff, I just don't remember any personal stuff."

"I need to take you to Ned and Peter."

"John, I don't remember them!"

"They're my friends. They will help you. Trust me, Liz. I won't leave you."

"Thank you," Liz said on the verge of tears.

Peter looked at Ned. "I can't believe that you let her go!"

"Peter, I was just trying to help her as much as you were." Ned paused. "I don't understand why Warren keeps attacking her."

"How do you know that it was him?"

"Peter, who else…" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. John entered with Liz. Liz looked at Ned and Peter.

"John, I'll be outside."

"Liz, don't go," John said.

"I don't remember them!" Liz started to leave. John sedated her. He put her in a chair. Peter picked her up.

"I'll be right back," Peter said. He rushed out of the door. Ned looked at John.

"Thank you for bringing her home, John," Ned said.

"Look, Ned…"

"John, this doesn't change anything." Ned turned away. "I'm going to find Peter."

Dr. Connors looked at Peter. "Why don't you just establish a permanent room here," he asked jokingly.

"Dr. Connors, Liz can't remember anything. She was even sedated because she was terrified that she couldn't remember anybody except for John Jameson."

"Do you remember the room that we put Gwen in when she was having her memory problems?"

"Yes…"

"It's still available."

Peter walked into the room with Liz. He put her down on the table. "Liz, you were always my best friend and I appreciate everything that you did to help me…" He paused. "However, you have suffered far too often because of me; so, you need to forget my secret. Also, you need to get a new job." He paused again. "It's to protect you."

The next day, Peter went over to Liz's apartment. Liz looked at Ned. "Wow, I never thought that we would get all of the wedding arrangements done!"

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

"I love you, Ned."

"I love you, too." They kissed. Peter looked at them awkwardly.

"Well, uh, I hate to interrupt lovers' lane, but, I wanted to see how Liz was doing."

"She's doing so much better," Ned said.

"Yeah, Peter thanks for taking me to Secret Hospital," Liz said. "I don't know why…" She paused. "After you took me there, I became so much happier. I mean, with my job at _Daily Insight_ magazine and…" She paused again. "Something else happened there that just made me feel like I lost a big weight that I was carrying around." She looked at him. "I know crazy, right?"

"I'm so happy for you, Liz." Peter was sad that he lost his main confidant, but he figured that it was the best wedding gift that he ever could've gotten her. He decided to go to George's Point. He stepped into the microphone portal. "Liz Richardson is officially offline," he said with sadness in his voice.

"Liz…"

"Oh, hi, John." Liz was surprised to see John Jameson as she was leaving her apartment. "So, I heard that I was treated like one of your inmates the other day…"

"What?"

"With the sedative routine."

"Liz, I'm truly sorry that I had to do that."

"John, relax, I was just joking." She paused. "Thank you for being there that day."

"Why didn't you remember Ned?"

"It was just some weird memory loss thing. I don't know. Listen, I'm sorry that you won't be able to be at the wedding. I know asylum work is demanding, but you do deserve a life…"

"Liz, what if you remembered me for some other reason than just some weird memory loss thing…" He paused. "Liz, while I respect Ned, both of you deserves to be with somebody you actually love." He paused again. "Liz, I love you and I can't let you marry Ned." He kissed her. Liz backed away from him.

"John, you're just confused, that's all. I mean, sure we've been a great help to each other and we've been there for each other…" She paused again. "You will find somebody someday, John."

"Liz, a lot of things in my life are confusing right now, except for my feelings for you. I'm sure of that."

"John…" Liz paused. "I really have to go." Liz left.


	86. Bride's Vacation

**Chapter Twenty**

_Bride's "Vacation"_

Mary Jane looked at Liz. "So, Liz, are you all set for the ceremony?"

"Well…" Liz paused. "I just need something borrowed."

"I may have something," Peter answered. He walked up the steps. Mary Jane was shocked.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Liz, she's such a kidder, isn't she," Peter said. He grabbed something. "It's the best friend charm that you got me a couple of months after our friendship started.

"Oh, Peter, you're so great with coming up with last minute solutions," Liz said.

"Yeah, except for the fact that he hasn't been doing that a lot recently," Mary Jane said.

"I always loved the sibling bickering style you two had," Liz said.

"Uh, comrade, can I see you for a minute downstairs? We have to let the sergeant get prepared for battle."

"Thunderbolt Ross had a bad influence on you, didn't he?"

"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't." They walked down the steps. Mary Jane looked at him. "What are you doing here really?"

"Liz went through severe memory loss and I helped her."

"Ben and I could've helped her." She sighed. "However, thank you for helping Liz."

"Look, just let me be here for Liz. Regardless of what happened between you, Ben, and me Liz deserves to have the best day of her life. I'm going to make sure that she does." He paused. Mary Jane looked at him thoughtfully.

"I'll distract Ben." She went down another flight of stairs. Ben was sitting in the living room. She looked at him. "Tired?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Mary Jane, I'm trying to make it through Liz's wedding but…" He paused. Then, he fell asleep. Mary Jane had sedated him.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Where is the lieutenant," Mary Jane asked herself.

"Reporting for duty, sir," Ned replied.

"Hi, Ned. Listen, you didn't have to be that sarcastic…"

"I'm just trying to follow this Ross inspired plan of battle." He paused. "Have you seen Marion yet?"

"No, but believe me, I'm keeping my eye open for the enemy."

"She's not that bad if you get to know her."

"Really," Mary Jane asked with a skeptical look.

"Okay, well, maybe she is." He paused. "Listen, I wanted to thank you. Liz needed to see Peter."

"Oh, c'mon, Ned, it's not that big of a sacrifice. I mean, everyone goes nuts because of Warren, right?"

"C'mon, Mary Jane, it was a bigger sacrifice than that. You once loved Peter." He paused. "However, don't get me wrong. You and Ben are great together." He paused again. "You know, if things were different, you and Peter would've ended up together."

"How do you know?"

"Everybody needs their opposite." He paused again. Mary Jane looked at him thoughtfully. "So, where is Scarlet O' Hara anyway?"

"He hates it when you call him that."

"I know he does, that's why I call him that."

"I had to sedate him. Warren has Peter and Ben convinced that one of them is a clone that has to be destroyed."

"Well, that sounds complicated enough. Listen; could you give Peter his suit?

"Sure." Ned left. He accidentally ran into Liz. "Oh no."

"Ned, I can't believe that you buy into this bad luck stuff. Who needs superstition when you have?"

"Love." He paused. "Liz, that was Gwen and Peter's philosophy and…"

"Ned…" Liz paused. "We'll be fine. I mean, through the years, we've survived a lot. I doubt that a stray black cat will change our feelings for each other."

"You're right," Ned said. "I'll always be there for you, Liz."

"I'll always be there for you." They kissed. Ned looked at her.

"Well, I better go see Marion." He left.

"Hi, Ned!" Marion looked at Ned as she walked under a ladder. "You don't believe in bad luck, do you?"

Liz looked at Mary Jane. "You've been a great help to me."

"Great help? Please. I've been a mess. I've been racing around and using Ross' battle strategies…"

"Mary Jane…" She paused. "For awhile, I couldn't imagine what my wedding would even look like without Gwen. Without you, my wedding would've been a mess." She paused again. "I still miss her." Mary Jane hugged her.

"Liz, trust me, today is going to be a great day." Mary Jane looked at her. "Listen, if you ever need my help, I'm here." Liz looked at her. She was thinking about John. However, she was afraid that Mary Jane wouldn't understand. Mary Jane barely respected John. Instead, Liz looked at Mary Jane and she said, "Everything is perfect."

"Well, in that case I'll go look for Peter." She paused. "I'll try to avoid having a showdown with him." She left.

Peter looked at Mary Jane as she came down the steps. "You look great." He paused. "Uh, I wanted to thank you for letting me be here."

"It's no problem. You and Liz have always been best friends and it's just interesting for an outsider like me to see how your friendship has progressed through the years. You…" She paused. "You don't look that bad yourself."

"Thanks." He paused. "Ned and I were talking about his feelings for Liz and the words one and only kept coming up in his conversation." He paused. "I wondered if…"

"You wondered if somebody could love again after losing their one and only."

"No…" Peter looked awkward. "I wondered if Marion would ever accept the marriage." He paused again. "The answer to your other question is yes."

"Testimonial time," the video camera man announced. "Now, please don't be nervous. Just say what you feel about Liz and Ned's marriage."

"Okay," Mary Jane said. She and Peter stepped up. She was nervous about the earlier conversation. "Lauren and Ned… uh… Claire and Ned… uh… Liz… uh… Liz and John… no… Ned and Liz! Uh, congratulations and I want to be invited to your golden anniversary party." She paused again. "Because I know that not only will your love last that long, it will last longer than that." She paused again. "Uh, Peter, it's your turn."

"Uh, congratulations, guys. I am determined to make today the best day of your lives."

"You can edit this video, right," Mary Jane asked the video camera guy.

"Of course. Actually, I'll be spending a lot of time on the cutting room floor with this video. Especially with a Marion Leed's testimony."

"Why am I not surprised?" Mary Jane frowned.

"Are you ready, Peter?" Liz looked at Peter as he was about to lead her down the steps.

"If you are." They walked down the steps to the front. Ned looked at Liz as Mary Jane looked at Ned's reaction to Liz. Liz was stunning, but Mary Jane knew that Ned's joy was out of the love he felt. She had felt the same way with Peter and Ben.

"You may now kiss the bride." Everybody cheered as Ned and Liz kissed. Mary Jane picked up a microphone. "Uh, everybody, please follow me out to the reception so that we can greet this new couple properly!" She smiled.

There was a knock on the door at the asylum. John opened the door. It was a building inspector. John cringed. "Uh, this isn't a good time…"

"Sorry, John, I have to inspect this building. Don't worry if a mouse is running around or something. I've definitely seen that before."

"Trust me; this isn't a good time…" John paused. Nobody could hear the man's scream.

Liz and Ned kissed. Peter looked at them. Liz motioned to him. "I want one dance with my best friend." Peter walked over. Liz looked at him. "I'm sorry if this wedding was awkward…"

"No, no, it wasn't. Trust me. I wanted to be here for you today. You were always my best friend. As long as you're happy…"

"Peter, what are you talking about?" Liz smiled at him. "I'm happier than I've ever been before." She looked at him. "It just feels like I lost this big burden that's been bothering me for the longest time. The other day, the burden left." She smiled at him. "I can move on." She looked at him again. "Well, I'm going to see Ned. Why don't you dance with Mary Jane?"

"Oh, Liz, I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"Liz, you're not serious," Mary Jane started to say.

"Mary Jane, it'll be fun," Liz said. Liz left. Mary Jane looked at Peter.

"Peter, if you don't want to, I understand. My feet are tired."

"Liz is right. It'll be fun." They started to dance. Mary Jane looked at him. For a moment, her old feelings resurfaced, then…

"May I have everybody's attention, please?" Liz's voice commanded the floor. "Thank you. My original matron of honor was supposed to be Gwen Stacy Parker. Even though she's gone today, the memory of her and her father is still with us. They made an impact on everybody, including myself. I wish that she could've been here today…" Liz's voice broke off. "Anyway, everybody, enjoy the party." Liz stepped away from the podium.

"I'm going outside for some fresh air," Mary Jane said to Peter.

"I'll join you." They went outside. Peter looked at her. "What just happened in there?"

"And you called me a home wrecker once." She looked at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Mary Jane…" He paused. "Do you think that under different circumstances that we would've gotten together?"

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused. "Ben always reminded me of you in some ways." She paused again. "Ben, in some ways, shows me what you would've been like if you had never met Gwen." She paused again. "I really shouldn't have said that…"

"No, you should've."

"I was really out of line with that statement."

"MJ…" He paused again. "Sometimes, I think the same thing about you."

"Peter… I shouldn't have done what I did at your wedding."

"Mary Jane, I understand. You couldn't control it."

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused. "This isn't fair to Ben and it wasn't fair to Gwen." She looked at him. "We're not supposed to be together." She left. When she walked back into the reception room, Liz and Ned were sharing another kiss. Marion looked at Claire.

"Go, Claire, dance with that guy!" Marion pointed to Peter. "He'll make Ned jealous!" Claire walked over to Peter.

"Hi, I'm Claire Skye." Mary Jane left. She wanted to find Ben.

"Oh, hi, Mary Jane," Ben said as the anti-sedative was taking effect. "Oh, no, I missed Liz's wedding, didn't I? Oh, Mary Jane, I'm so sorry. I was really tired…"

"Ben, it's okay. You didn't miss all of the wedding. It's still going on. Come on."

"No, Mary Jane, wait." He stopped her. "I'm sorry about what happened the other day with Peter and I. I know that created a lot of unnecessary drama for you…" He paused again. "I love you and that's all that matters."

"I love you too, Ben," Mary Jane said. She was finally convinced that she could live a normal life.

"Ah, so there's the little matron of honor with an exhausted guest," Marion announced as she came into the room. She looked at Ben. "Too much celebration for you to handle?"

"Too little," Mary Jane replied.

"Anyway, I need you. We're getting prepared to say goodbye to the bride and groom before they go off on the honeymoon. We can only hope that the actual marriage lasts longer than that," Marion sang out. She left.

"I'm glad that my adoptive mother wasn't like that," Ben said.

"Well, considering that my actual father is in prison and that my stepfather is General Thunderbolt Ross, you'll probably not want to meet the family anytime soon." They kissed. Then, they headed towards the other room. Mary Jane looked at the staircase set up. "Marion, what is this about?"

"Oh, it was Claire's idea and it is wonderful! Liz is in that room…" Marion pointed to a room with the doors locked. "She'll come out when I give her the electronic signal…" Marion pointed to a beeper in her hand. "Then, she'll walk down the flight of steps where she'll join Ned. They'll exit… and then you and Peter will be across from each other and then you'll exit and so on and so forth…"

"Marion, that's overly complicated." Mary Jane sighed.

In the room, Liz looked at her bouquet. She smiled at her bouquet.

"Nonsense, Mary Jane! None of Claire's ideas can be overly complicated!"

"Naturally," Mary Jane uttered under her breath.

"Okay, places!" Everybody went to their designated place. They waited while Marion clicked the beeper. There was no reply. She clicked it again. There was still no reply. Suddenly, Liz screamed. Ned raced up to the doors.

"Why are these doors locked," he screamed towards Marion.

"Well, Ned, Liz was going to open the door…" Ned, Peter, Mary Jane and Ben raced around to the outside of the building. Ned looked in disbelief.

"She's gone."

Mary Jane raced over to Peter as they walked back inside. "Ben already left. He's looking for her…"

"Ned's an absolute mess now. He's so concerned about Liz…"

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused. She was starting to break down. "I'm worried about her too…"

"It'll be okay, Mary Jane," Peter said while he hugged her. "We'll find her and…"

"What if we lose her," Mary Jane asked. Peter couldn't think of anything to say. Mary Jane left to find Ned.

Meanwhile, Liz was being carried into Warren's Fortress. Her now silver eyes gleamed as she smiled up at her captor.


	87. (Death)isny

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_(Death)isny_

Peter and Mary Jane were discussing Liz's disappearance when Marion walked in. "I knew that girl was trouble," Marion said.

"Marion, not now," Mary Jane demanded.

"Well, obviously, she intended to leave Ned all along, that little gold digging home wrecker…"

"How do you call her that when she needs our help the most," Mary Jane demanded as she started to stand up towards Marion.

"Well, it's obvious that Ned was meant to be with Claire," Marion insisted. "I mean, Liz Richardson is nothing but trouble…" She stopped as Mary Jane slapped her. She looked at Mary Jane. "How dare you…"

"I warned you… not now." Mary Jane walked away from Marion.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter looked at Marion. "Mary Jane is just upset over Liz being kidnapped, that's all."

"Kidnapped?" Marion paused. "Liz brought this trouble for Ned. There's another man in her life, Peter, that's all it is. How dare she cheat on Ned!"

"Marion," Peter said as he grabbed a paper that had the headline of _STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND:_ _TONY STARK IS STILL BEING HELD HOSTAGE_. "Did Mary Jane ever tell you that we're a lot alike?"

Liz was looking at an old picture of George Stacy. George was looking off into the distance. Liz brushed the snow off of his picture as it fell down from the fortress. "I'm going to make you proud, George. I'm going to make you proud."

"Liz, I wanted to talk to you," John said as he was slowly waking up from a sedative. "However, why are we here and why are you holding a picture of George Stacy?"

"This picture," Liz said as she put the picture away. "George Stacy is nothing for you to concern yourself with. However, I'll tell you anyway because you won't remember the truth. George was always like a surrogate father to me. When he died…" Liz paused. "It was the worst thing in my life."

"Liz, are you okay? You told me that you had a great father and while you grieved over George's death, you always seemed to grieve over Gwen's death more."

"We didn't have the opportunity to be properly introduced, did we?" Liz paused. "My name is Miles Warren."

Peter looked at Mary Jane. "There's still no answer from Liz's cell phone. Mary Jane…" He paused. "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think that Liz was possessed by Warren."

"Why?"

"Warren has his own purposes. We only heard Liz scream once. She probably passed out. While she was passed out, Warren probably possessed her."

"Peter, when did you become Sherlock Holmes?"

"It makes sense though, doesn't it? I mean, if she were possessed, then…"

"Possessed?" Both of them cringed as Marion's voice rang out. "Wait a minute. If Liz is possessed, then she'll come after Ned… and Claire. I have to protect them." She looked at Peter. "You have to kill Liz."

"Listen to me, Marion Leeds," Peter said as he got up. He grabbed her by the arms. "Liz Richardson is not going to die, okay?"

"Peter, her life will spare so many other lives. You don't have a choice." Marion sighed. "If you don't do something about it, then I will."

"Marion…" Mary Jane paused. "You never should've asked him to do this…"

"Well, then, I have no choice." Marion left the room. She walked into another room. She lit a candle so that she could see the phone. Then, she dialed the phone. "Listen, this is Marion Leeds. This is going to sound weird, but I need a human exterminator. Trust me, I'm not a murderer. I'm just dealing with a very insane human being. I need your help. Trust me, I can explain the situation. Listen…" She paused. "Money is no object."

"What have you done with Liz Richardson," John demanded.

"I didn't do anything with her. She's just serving as my platform for now. So, right now, she doesn't exist." She looked at him. "Besides, it's Liz Leeds now. I don't know why in the world her new name would bother you."

"It doesn't."

"Oh, but it does." She paused. She started to walk towards him. "You're struggling, John. You're struggling with the typical weaknesses of a typical human being. Although, all of that is about to change. I know that you have feelings… or so you think… for this Liz Richardson Leeds…"

"What do you mean by that? I've always had feelings for Liz." He paused again. There has to be a way to appeal to her…"

"Sorry, Jameson, there's no way of that happening. In here, her soul is sleeping." She paused again. "However, you don't really have feelings. You've been struggling to maintain your artificial feelings, although it's been more difficult than trying to sort out your little love triangle. The only thing that's keeping you human is your supposed feelings for Liz." She paused. Then, she grabbed something. "Once I'm done with you, you'll be an emotionless… well, an emotionless… gray, spiky Abomination."

"I've had that problem before," John said angrily.

"Yes, but you've never had this problem with being totally emotionless before." She paused. Then, she injected something into John.

Peter was racing to find Liz. When he finally found her, he was cautious in case his theory was correct. By this time, she had already hid John. She looked at him. "So, you've come for me, huh? Normally, I would say thank you. However, I kind of wanted your human counterpart to come for me. I mean, being rescued by a clone is okay, but…" She paused again. "After all, your human counterpart would've saved Gwen." She smiled. Peter grabbed her by the arms. "Oh, go ahead, try to kill me. Become like your human counterpart. Besides…" She smiled again. "You're killing your best friend instead of me." Liz left him. She stumbled across the men

that Marion had sent. She looked at them. "None of you stand a chance against me." Then, she collapsed. The men dragged her over to a table. Then, one of the men brought out a knife.

"Stop!" The men were shocked to see Peter. "I won't let you do this!"

"Sorry… We were paid by Marion Leeds. We have to do this." They turned towards Liz again. Suddenly, Peter grabbed Liz off of the table.

Dr. Connors was surprised to see Peter. "Oh, did Liz get cold feet?"

"Worse."

"Well, that one room is under construction. Try the table."

"Thanks." Peter brought her over to the table. Suddenly, Liz looked up at him.

"Peter…" She sighed. "Take me to see Ned. I want to see him."

When Peter arrived at the wedding place with Liz, he started to take her to Ned's room. Liz looked at him. "I heard that Marion almost gave up on me." She looked at him again. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"Thank you for not giving up on me through the years. Besides, I thought that Robin Hood was supposed to have his band of merry men. Lady Marion isn't supposed to have her band of less than merry men."

"Peter, I can always count on you for a cheesy joke to lift my spirits."

_I never told her that Warren possessed her_, Peter thought to himself. _Liz had described the feeling of Warren taking over as wanting to throw up before she lost her memory of all of this. She had also said that two souls for one body was definitely one soul too many_. However, Peter knew deep down that Liz was happier. Finally, they arrived at Ned's room. Ned looked at Liz.

"You're safe!"

"Ned, I missed you so much!"

"Liz, I couldn't survive without you!"

"I couldn't survive without you!"

"Uh, I'll leave you two alone," Peter said.

"Thank you, Peter," Ned said.

"You're welcome," Peter said. Ned and Liz kissed. Peter left.


	88. Losing You

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Losing You_

Mary Jane was walking to her latest audition. She was surprised to see Ben, as the Scarlet Spider. "Ben! Did you find Liz?"

"Liz was found, Mary Jane. Uh, Peter found her."

"Wow, that's great that Liz was found! I'm relieved!" Mary Jane laughed happily a little bit. "Uh, Peter's alive," Mary Jane asked. She pretended to be surprised.

"I'll deal with him, Mary Jane." He looked at her. "All I care about now is your safety. When Ned lost Liz…" He paused.

"I love you, Ben."

"I love you." They kissed. Then, Ben swung away. Mary Jane smiled as she watched him leave.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Liz was getting her stuff around. She was preparing to see Aunt May. She looked at Ned. Ned was finally starting to catch up on his sleep after the kidnapping scare. Liz didn't want to wake him up, so she left him a note stating that she was going to see Aunt May. She looked at him one more time. Then, she left.

Ben was swinging through the city when he was sprayed by something. The spray made him crash land into the building and his spider sense was affected. He was confused about what he should do. Off in the distance, he heard the goblin laughing.

"Liz!"

"Aunt May!"

"Come on in! Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you! This is a pleasant surprise!" They hugged.

"Aunt May…" Liz paused. "I came here to say goodbye." She grabbed something out of her shoulder bag. It was a letter. "Would you give this to Peter for me? I wrote it a long time ago and I don't want to revise it anymore. I haven't even looked at it since a year before my wedding. We're leaving because Ned thinks that this place is too dangerous to have a life. I agree with him."

"I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving, but could you at least tell Peter yourself? He deserves that much…"

"May, you've known him longer than I have. It'll come easier if it's from you. I don't want him or Mary Jane to change my mind. Also, I don't want Peter to think that I let him down." Liz paused.

"I will." May hugged her. "You will definitely be missed. Please visit often."

"I wish I could visit," Liz said. "However, I can't. I'd be tempted to stay.

"Then, don't leave."

"I wish I could." Liz looked at her. "Goodbye, Aunt May."

"Goodbye, Liz." They hugged again. Liz smiled at her before she headed out to her car.

"Well, why don't you just be honest about your feelings for him?"

"You know that it's much too difficult for me."

"Anita, you need to learn how to communicate. Stop him before he leaves."

"You know I would if I could."

"Excellent, Miss Watson. You're hired!"

"Wait a minute," Mary Jane protested. "You didn't see the full audition."

"We don't need to see the full audition. Mr. Norman Osborn recommended you highly."

"Bravo, Mary Jane," Norman said as he walked up the steps. "Except for, next time, maybe a little less stage fright."

"I, uh, I don't want the job anymore," Mary Jane said to the audition director.

"You may be passing up the opportunity of a lifetime," the director said.

"I know that," Mary Jane answered. She left. She started to race along the streets. Then, she desperately tried to call Ben on his cell phone. There was no answer. His voicemail came on. "Ben, it's me. Listen, I'm in danger. Norman was at my audition and…" She screamed as the goblin picked her up off the ground.

_Dear Peter,_

_ I know that we have been through a lot together. However, please forgive me for what I am about to say. After Ned and I get married, we're leaving. Ned thinks that George's Point has become too dangerous. I'm sorry to let you down like this. There's another thing. I know that you gave up being Spider-man because of Gwen's death, but I know that one day, you'll want to resume being Spider-man again. Peter, it is not your destiny. You deserve better. Ben's destiny is the Scarlet Spider. Your destiny is not Spider-man. Anyway, Peter, thank you for always being there as my best friend._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Liz _

May stared at the note for a second in shock. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. May opened the door. It was Robert. "Oh, hi, Robert."

"What's wrong, May?" She showed him the note. Robert looked at her. "I'm so proud of Peter."

"I am too." May paused. "Liz's note has to be destroyed." May put the note into the fireplace. "I can't believe it! My surrogate son is Spider-man! The truth was, I was never a Spider-man fan until I learned more about him. He's a vital part to the city." She sighed. "Liz no longer knows the truth…"

"What about the Scarlet Spider?"

"You can't blame me now if I'm biased towards Spider-man."

"May…" Robert paused. "I actually came here for a different purpose." He paused again. "May Parker, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She hugged him. Then, they kissed. Robert looked at her. "I haven't felt this way since Eva died."

"I haven't felt this way since Ben died." They kissed again. Suddenly, the roof crashed in on them. May was uninjured. She rushed over to Robert. "Robert, are you okay?"

"May…" Robert struggled as he gasped. "Protect yourself. I love you." May cried over the death of the second love of her life. Then, a figure came over to her. May only noticed that the figure had features similar to that of a vulture. The figure picked her up. May screamed. Then, the figure flew out of the hole in the roof away with her.

Peter tried to call Liz, but there was no answer. Then, he tried to call Mary Jane, but there was no answer. He began his search.

Ben was slowly waking up from a sedative when he saw the goblin holding Mary Jane on the Brooklyn Bridge. "You actually thought that you were a hero, didn't you?" The goblin laughed as he let go of Mary Jane. Without the keen instinct of the spider sense, Ben had to guess where he should shoot a web strand. When he had finally shot the web strand, it clung to something. Relieved, Ben pulled up the item to discover that it was Mary Jane's shoe. Mary Jane continued to scream until a collision noise was heard. "That's what you get for trying to be a hero," the goblin taunted to the grieving Ben. Then, the goblin threw a miniature bomb towards him.

Ned was woken up by the sound of a ringing cell phone. He looked at the phone. It was Liz. "Liz, where are you?"

"Ned…" Liz was crying. "Ned, I went to visit Aunt May and then my car was hijacked…"

"Where are you now?"

"I'm in a hospital room at Secret Hospital."

"I'll be right there." Ned tried to open the door, but he couldn't. Then, he tried to open the window, but he couldn't. "I'm locked in. Listen, Liz, I'm going to break the window. I'm coming after you."

"No, don't Ned!" Liz paused. "I won't watch you die for me! People want to kill you! They made several attempts on your life…"

"Liz, you're not safe there! Try to escape!"

"I can't escape, Ned." She paused. "I'm tied to the wall."

Peter looked at Ben's remains. He was slightly relieved, yet horrified to see dust instead of a human body. "Ben was the clone," Peter said to himself. Further down from the bridge, two boat keepers were looking at their latest catch.

"What's your name?" A woman with red hair looked up at them.

"I don't know."

"Well, you took quite a hit to the head after you fell. C'mon, we'll get you some help."

Ned started to try to break the window. "I'm coming for you, Liz!"

"Don't come for me, Ned! I don't want to lose you! I love you, Ned. It'll be okay. We'll be all right. Just stay there!" Liz screamed as she saw what was coming towards her.

"Liz, what is it?"

"Ned, it's the thing that kidnapped me at our wedding!"

"Liz, I'm coming for you!"

"It'll be okay, Ned. The thing didn't hurt me before." However, Liz screamed as the thing removed her from the wall. "Ned…" She paused. "I love you." She screamed one last time as her blood hit the wall.

Peter raced over to Secret Hospital. He raced inside. Dr. Connors looked solemn. Peter looked at him. "What happened?"

"Peter, Liz…" He paused. "She was murdered, Peter." He pointed to a room. Peter raced over to the room. He looked inside of the room. "The video surveillance showed that somebody took the body." He looked at him. "I'm so sorry, Peter."

_What defines a hero._ Peter stood silently at Liz's funeral. He had let everybody down, but this was definitely the worst. Liz had always been his best friend, and she had always been there for him until he erased her memory of his identity. Even then, she had been there for him as his best friend. The time that she needed him the most, he could not be there for her. His eyes started to water. _A hero, in my opinion, is not defined by how many lives he saves or doesn't save_. The boat keepers helped Mary Jane into the hospital. _What defines a hero is his or her ability to withstand the villain, to carry through, to see a new day_. Ned woke up from a sedative. He was in Norman's lair. Grief stricken, he saw a different kind of goblin mask. He picked it up. _Finally, what ultimately defines him is his enduring ability to not become the villain at the end._ Peter grabbed the Scarlet Spider suit from where Ben had died. He put it on. Then, he left.


	89. The Next Step

**Chapter One**

_The Next Step_

"She was my best friend," Peter said as he looked out of the window. "She was always there for me and she was my confidant." His eyes watered. "I promised myself that I would always be there for her." He paused. "The one time that she needed me the most, I wasn't there for her…" He seemed to trail off in the distance.

"Peter, Liz's death wasn't your fault."

"Tell me why I think it is…"

"Everybody blamed themselves for Liz's death because it was so sudden and…" She paused. "Peter, would Liz want you to blame yourself for her death? What would she want you to do?"

"I… I have to go." He paused. "Thanks, Miss Potts."

"Please…" She paused. "Call me Pepper."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"No, I can't," Ned said to himself as he touched the goblin mask. He started to put it back when…

"Why can't you?"

"Warren?" Ned was shocked.

"You finally figured it out, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your destiny." Warren paused. "First, you were the underappreciated newspaper reporter. Then, you thought that you had found your destiny as the head of George's Point and as Liz's fiancé… However, he ruined your fate." Warren paused. "This is your new destiny."

"Where is he?"

"Somewhere in a faraway land. He's trying to avoid punishment for Liz's tragic murder…"

"Did he ever revert back to human form?"

"Did you?" Warren paused. "But then, it all depends on what you mean by human form. Are you talking about the flesh or the non-existent version of humanity?"

"Tell me where he is."

"I will…" He paused. "However, you're only focusing on one aspect of the problem. What about all of those useless spider heroes that failed to save her? I'm sure that they have their own loved ones who…" He paused. "I'm getting carried away, aren't I?" He paused again. "I'll tell you where he is as long as you promise one thing…"

"What?"

"Embrace your destiny. Avenge Liz's murder." He handed him the goblin mask.

"Mrs. Reilly?" Pepper paused. "Mrs. Reilly?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Mary Jane yawned. "I just woke up." She looked at her. "Pepper?" She raced over to hug her. "Oh, Pepper, it's so good to see you! Oh, it's wonderful! I know that everything is okay! Peter and Ben have made amends; Liz and Ned are on their honeymoon and…"

"Mary Jane…" Pepper paused. "I have something to tell you."

"It's going to have to wait, Pepper." Mary Jane raced into the bathroom. "I need to get out of this hospital gown and into real clothes. I have to see my husband."

"But, Mary Jane…"

"Pepper, I'll talk to you later," Mary Jane said as she left. Pepper sighed. As Pepper started to leave the room, she was approached by Mr. Trow, her boss.

"May I see you for a moment?"

"Uh, sure." They stepped into his office. He laid several files onto his desk. "I understand that you've been counseling the family members and friends of the victims of that recent tragedy…"

"Yes, I have." Pepper paused. "Why?"

"It's not good for our establishment."

"Our establishment's purpose is to counsel people, no matter what the situation," Pepper said angrily.

"The workers at the establishment need to know the boundaries of clear and present danger, which you clearly don't, Miss Potts. You have put our establishment in indescribable danger." He paused. "Pepper, I have to let you go. You know way too much about this situation. You're a time bomb for our establishment." He paused. "I'm sorry. Please collect your things and please leave." He left.

Mary Jane saw Ned walking down the street. "Isn't life great?" She smiled, however, the smile quickly changed to a look of confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?"

Pepper was trying to think of what she was going to do. With no paycheck, she couldn't afford to live anywhere… However, her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Mary Jane walking towards her. "Why didn't you tell me," Mary Jane said angrily.

"I…" She paused. "I tried to several times. I'm so sorry…"

"I…" Mary Jane paused. Pepper could tell that there was a look of desperation in her eyes, but she couldn't tell why. Then, Mary Jane left. Pepper followed her.

"Ned," Mary Jane called out as she walked into the basement of George's Point. "I've decided to go with you." Mary Jane walked into George's Point. Pepper frowned. She noticed that there was a weird vehicle in the middle of the basement. She walked over to it. On the vehicle, there was a note attached.

"Embrace your destiny, Ned-Warren," Pepper read aloud. She decided to investigate. Once she walked into the vehicle, she noticed that there was a driver's seat and a passenger's seat and luggage compartments.

"Are you sure that we're doing the right thing?" Pepper quickly climbed into the luggage compartment as she heard Mary Jane and Ned approaching the vehicle.

"Mary Jane…" Ned paused. "Liz didn't deserve what happened to her. I didn't deserve what happened to her." He paused again. "I have to get my revenge."

"Welcome to The Daily Bugle, how may I help you," the secretary said as she answered the phone. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jameson isn't available. No, I'm not sure when he's coming back." The secretary listened. "Thank you for calling The Daily Bugle." She sighed.

"Somebody else looking for J.J.J.," her coworker asked.

"Yes." She paused. "What am I supposed to say? Oh, I'm sorry, but my boss is suffering from a slight mental break down because his successful son was suddenly revealed to be an insane killer?" She paused again. "Do people even think sometimes?"

"No." She paused. "If we did, we wouldn't be working here."

Peter frowned as he passed Aunt May's picture on the book case. Suddenly, the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Is this Peter Parker?"

"Yes? Who is this?"

"This is General Ross. Listen, Peter…" Ross paused. "I was wondering if you could help me out with something…"

"What?" He paused. "Why do you want my help?"

"I know the truth, Peter. I've been monitoring Spider-man's actions across the city and I was able to figure out that it was you."

"Whaaa… You haven't told anybody, have you?"

"Of course not, are you kidding?"

"What do you need help with?"

"Well, Betty…" His voice trailed off.

"Is she okay?"

"Well, she's with that green abomination, does that answer your question?"

"She still hasn't been found, has she?"

"Thank you, captain of the obvious."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ross, this isn't the best time… Liz…"

"Look, I know that you're still mourning over Mrs. Leeds' death, but you're the only person who can help me."

"If I wasn't able to help Liz, how will I be able to help…"

"Okay, then, Spider-man will be able to help Betty…"

"We're the same person…"

"Exactly." Ross paused. "So, are you in?"

"Uh…" Peter thought for a second. "Do I really have a choice?"


	90. False Motives

**Chapter Two**

_False Motives_

Mary Jane and Ned had arrived at their destination. "How do you know that he's here," Mary Jane asked Ned.

"I have my sources."

"Who told you?"

"I… can't tell you that." Ned glared at Mary Jane before he looked over his surroundings. "He's out here somewhere."

"Would both of you mind telling me what you're up to," Pepper demanded as she walked out of the vehicle.

"What are you doing here," Mary Jane asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"How did you get here," Ned angrily asked.

"Look, both of you, I lost my job because I was counseling the victims of the murders and my boss was too concerned about his own safety," she said with exasperation. "I hid in the baggage compartment just so I could have a place to stay for a couple of days."

"Pepper, you can't stay here," Mary Jane said.

"Where else am I going to go?"

"I…" Suddenly, something pushed Mary Jane.

"Mary Jane," the attacker asked. Mary Jane looked up.

"Betty… and…" Mary Jane was in shock. "Bruce?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Why are you here of all places," Betty asked Mary Jane as she helped her up.

"It's a long story."

"I'm sure." Then, Betty saw Pepper. She raced over to her. "Pepper, it's been forever since I saw you!" They hugged.

"I'm going to find Jameson," Ned said. He left.

"Who's he," Betty asked Mary Jane.

"You have been gone a long time, haven't you?" Suddenly, Mary Jane's attention turned to Bruce. "How are things going for you?"

"Let's just say, don't make angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry," Bruce answered.

"I'm so sorry, Mary Jane," Betty said after she had told her everything that's happened.

"No…" Mary Jane said while trying to dry her tears. "You have your own problems that you need to be concerned with and I shouldn't have…"

"No," Betty said. "Everybody needs a support system."

"For all of my life, I feel like I've been wearing this mask." Mary Jane paused. "It's like I've been acting this part for the longest time and then, suddenly, I was able to remove the mask. All because of Ben and Liz…" She paused. "As cliché as it sounds, the love of my life and my best friend changed everything for me… now that they're gone…" She suddenly stopped.

"I know that you miss Ben and Liz, but you're forgetting one third factor that removed your mask."

"What?"

"Peter." Betty smiled.

Peter looked nervously at Ross as Ross loaded more and more weapons onto the vehicle. "Are all of those, necessary, General?"

"Are you new here? You even tried to take down that thing yourself. You don't have a chance without weapons…"

"What about the power of will power? Persistence?"

"If everybody had that attitude, Parker, Tony Stark wouldn't be in business."

"What a pity." Peter and Ross turned around to see none other than Tony Stark.

"So, when did you stop being MIA," Ross asked.

"Haven't I been that all of my life?"

"I'd have to agree with that statement," Ross said. "So, when did you come back? Everybody thought you were dead…"

"There were some times when I was questioning that myself. I just came back today, actually. I heard about all of the chaos that had happened since I was away…"

"What can I say? Without you, Tony, the world falls to pieces," Ross said.

Mary Jane looked at Betty questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Mary Jane, everybody knew that you had feelings for Peter before Ben came into your life. I mean, with Gwen and Ben and everything…"

"That's exactly why we can't be together," Mary Jane said impatiently. "Look, Betty, while I appreciate your help, I'm not ready for this." She paused. "I need to go to the vehicle." Then, she left.

"Speaking of falling to pieces," Tony said. "Your method of transportation stinks. I can get you there in no time."

"Legally," Ross asked.

"Well, it depends on your definition of 'legal.'"

Mary Jane walked into the vehicle. Her eyes were starting to water. Suddenly, she tripped over something. She looked to see what she had tripped over. It was a goblin glider. She screamed as something covered her mouth. "Do you remember, Mary Jane, when I said that I needed you to help me with my revenge?"

"Ned," she said in shock. "I don't believe this. How could you…"

"Actually, I'm the Hobgoblin now," Ned answered. "When I said that I needed you to help me with my revenge, I forgot to mention that you were going to be part of it."

Peter, as Spider-man, walked by General Ross. "I feel weird. Here I am, in some weird kids' costume, walking next to a general…"

"Well, if you think about it, technically, we're both in costume." He paused. "Including Tony Stark for once. How in the world did you come up with that?"

"If you're in captivity, you have a lot of free time on your hands," Tony answered.

"I can imagine," Ross said. Suddenly, they saw something.

"MJ," Peter almost gasped.

"Does this situation look familiar, Peter," Ned asked. He was holding Mary Jane over a cliff.

"Ned," he said in shock.

"No… it's the Hobgoblin now." He paused. "I know the truth, Peter. You were a hero and you didn't deserve to be. You couldn't even save the one person that I loved the most." He held her further away from the cliff. "You couldn't even save the one person that you loved the most. Gwen could've had a chance if…"

"Look, Ned," Peter began frantically. "I know you're upset over what happened over Liz. I let my grief control me and I don't want to see the same thing happen to you."

"Too late for that, Peter." He paused. "I'm with a new alliance, now. One that will protect its members at all costs…" He paused again. "Even if it does mean committing murder." He let Mary Jane go. Peter lunged after her. However, Ned quickly struck Peter with a spear. "I didn't even have a chance of saving the one I loved. Why should you?"

"Ned," Peter said weakly as Ross raced over to assist Peter. "On that day, I didn't only lose Liz, I lost you as well."

"Funny…" Ned paused. "You seemed to be that way after Gwen's death…" Ned turned around. However, he frowned when he didn't see Mary Jane anywhere.

"I knew you were up to something," Pepper said as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She pushed Ned, causing him to fall. "General Ross, could you please give us a hand?" He rushed over to pull Pepper and Mary Jane up. However, once Pepper and Mary Jane were on the ground, Ned had something else to worry about.

"Is that John," Mary Jane asked in shock.

"Now you know why Jameson Sr. is having a mental breakdown," Tony said. "Once John realized what he did, he permanently transformed into this monstrous form. Now, all of the human remorse in the world won't stop him."

"How do you know all of this," Mary Jane asked.

"I have my sources."

Ned and John walked towards each other. "I can never regain what I lost," Ned said. "However, I can have revenge." Then, they lunged towards each other. Blow after blow, strike after strike, everyone watched as Ned and John struggled.

"Is everybody okay," Betty asked as she and Bruce walked towards them.

"Betty…" Ross paused as he hugged her. "I've found you." He paused as he looked at Bruce. "You're under arrest."

"You don't need me for justice's sake. You need me to prove something. You need me to prove to yourself that you aren't a big failure just because of one failed experiment. That somehow, it was my fault…"

"Look, General," Betty demanded. "Can we talk about this later?"

"I'm your father. Don't call me General."

"I'm just calling you by your favorite name."

"Ned," Mary Jane gasped as John ripped Ned's heart out. Then, John ran from them. Mary Jane raced over to Ned; however, Ned's struggle had already ended. "You were going to change the world," Mary Jane cried.

"He could've." Mary Jane got up quickly.

"What are you doing here and when did you decide to continue your façade?"

"MJ…"

"Look, stop with the MJ business! One of my best friends just had his heart ripped out by somebody that everybody thought that they could trust!"

"Mary Jane…" He paused. "Ned's heart had already been ripped out. By the way he was living, the real Ned Leeds had already died."

"You could've saved Ben; you could've saved Liz and you could've saved Ned…" She paused. "However, you didn't. I thought I knew you, Peter." She started to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Somewhere… just anywhere but here…"

"It's not safe out there. John's still alive."

"It's not safe being here. You're still alive." She left.

"How are your wounds doing," Ross asked as he walked over to Peter.

"The physical ones are doing fine. The emotional ones are…" He paused.

"Well, hopefully, they heal soon." Ross paused. He walked over to Bruce. "You're coming with me."

"Wait a minute," Betty said. "My best friend just walked out into an environment where she is going to face certain death and you're more concerned with making the person that I love the most suffer?"

"Betty…" Ross paused. "This love that you're feeling is just temporary. As for Mrs. Reilly, she chose her own fate…"

"Everybody else is okay with all of my friends except for you." She paused. "You truly are heartless aren't you? There's nothing you won't do."

"There's nothing you won't do. Come on, both of you are coming with me."


	91. Control Boundaries

**Chapter Three**

_Control Boundaries_

Peter was tending to his wounds while Ross put handcuffs onto Bruce. "General, we need to save her," Peter said.

"Oh, not you with the puppy love now." Ross frowned. "I am packing up our things and then we are getting out of here."

"It's not safe for you, Peter," Bruce said. "You were easily injured by Ned, who was killed by John. Also, there's no chance of you surviving if you try to fight with those wounds. It would take a…" He trailed off.

"Bruce, what are you thinking," Betty asked. Suddenly, she knew what he was thinking. "Oh, no. Bruce, you're not safe!"

"We have to save her," Bruce said. He paused. "I'm our only option."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"I can't lose you," Betty said.

"Forget about losing him," Ross said. "I'm putting my foot down. You're a fugitive and you're just going to run away if I free you. Besides, you haven't been able to control your reactions once you become…"

"What if I could control it? I've been taking these one-on-one classes to help me with relaxation and controlling my anger. I can do this."

"Just because you've been taking some silly yoga classes doesn't mean that you're ready to face a murderer." Ross paused. "Besides, why would I let another fugitive fight another fugitive?"

"What other choice do you have," Bruce asked.

"I'm not going to let you do this, Bruce," Betty said. "This is insanity."

"So is not doing anything to help her," Bruce said.

Mary Jane looked around in the wilderness. Her thoughts were filled with anger over the deaths of Ben and Liz… she had to defeat John. So, she screamed out into the open, "Where are you?" Nothing happened. "Where are you," she screamed again. Then, the leaves started to rustle.

"I'll let you this time," Ross said. He started to remove Bruce's handcuffs. Suddenly, he paused. "If you try to run away, I will find you."

"I know that already," Bruce said.

"Very well then," Ross sighed. Bruce started to walk away.

"Wait," Betty said as she ran towards Bruce. "You don't know what you're doing. You're never…" She paused. "I can't lose you."

"And I can't lose you." He paused. "That's why I have to go." He left. Betty watched as he walked away. Then, she realized something.

"Where's Pepper," she asked in a panic. Suddenly, John emerged with Pepper in tow. However, something flew towards him, causing him to drop Pepper. The flying object caught Pepper. "Is that something new from the military department," Betty asked Ross.

"Kind of," Ross answered. The thing returned back to the ground with Pepper. Ross noticed the thing's wounds. "I'm going to get you some help."

"What is that thing," Pepper weakly asked Ross.

"Well, let's just say we call him Iron Man." He left.

Suddenly, everybody heard Mary Jane scream. John reemerged with Mary Jane in tow. However, somebody was behind him this time. "Bruce," Betty said in a panic. "I knew this was a bad idea…" Bruce struck John, causing him to drop Mary Jane. Once she fell to the ground, Mary Jane ran towards Betty.

"Is Bruce insane," she asked Betty.

"Yes." Betty paused. "However, now, I don't know who is sane anymore."

Suddenly, John pushed Bruce, causing him to fall to the floor. "Bruce," Betty screamed. She started to run towards him. Mary Jane stopped her.

"It's too late," Mary Jane said.

"I have to save him."

"Sometimes, you can't save somebody." Mary Jane paused. "No matter how much you want to…"

John reached towards Bruce's heart. However, Bruce grabbed a broken tree trunk and he stabbed John with it. John slowly fell to his death. "Bruce," Betty screamed.

"He's alive, Betty," Mary Jane said with annoyance. "What more could you want?"

"Now, he's no better than John. He killed him, and the reason that we were going after John in the first place was because he killed Liz…"

"Sometimes, you have to become the villain to stop the villain," Mary Jane said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Betty said.

"Someday, it will," Mary Jane said. She looked at her. "I'm going into the vehicle. I need a break." She left.

"Someday," Pepper said as she walked over by Betty. "Someday, a new empire will be built out of these ashes."

"It's too late for that," Betty said.

"Change motivates people. Without change, nobody would change."

"I…" Betty paused. "I have to talk to Bruce." She left.

"Bruce," she said as she walked towards him, "It's okay now. You can change back to…" She paused because she suddenly saw a look in his eyes that she had never seen before: Desperation. "I know that you don't want to stay like this forever…" She paused. "We will get you some help." Suddenly, something sedated her.

"I can't believe this," Ross yelled. He turned around to look at one of his men. "You hit the wrong person! You were supposed to sedate that green abomination! Not my daughter!"

Bruce glared at Ross before he picked up Betty and he left. "I knew that I could never trust him," Ross said.

"You can't trust anybody," Mary Jane answered bleakly. She turned around to see Peter. "Where were you all of this time? Suddenly, you just come out of nowhere and…"

"With Liz's death, I realized that…"

"I don't care what you realized. You should've realized that Ben and Liz needed you before…"

"They aren't even married, yet they're acting like a divorced couple," Ross whispered to Tony. Tony nodded.

"You should've realized that other people needed you before you gave up," Mary Jane continued. "There was a time when I thought that I could always be there for you, Peter, but I can't anymore. I can't handle this." She paused. "When we get back to the city, I don't want to hear from you." She left.

"What a day," Ross groaned. "I let a fugitive escape… not only that, but he escaped with my daughter, another fugitive died and I just spent time watching a melodramatic soap opera."

"That sounds like one of my better days," Tony answered.


	92. In the Wilderness

**Chapter Four**

_In the Wilderness_

"That's it," a worker screamed out. "I quit!"

"Okay… but, I warned you… anybody who quits makes a huge mistake…"

"I'm not making a mistake." Suddenly, the worker screamed.

Mary Jane frowned as she sat on the ledge of a building roof. "You know," Pepper said as she walked towards her. "That's not the best idea that you ever had…"

"This isn't what it looks like," Mary Jane said. "I'm thinking." She paused. "I don't know, it's just strange to look down at the street and realize that when you feel like giving up, the rest of the world moves on. They buy their coffee, go to work and…" She paused.

"Life's funny that way." Pepper paused. "Mary Jane, even though I have no idea what you're going through right now, I can assure you of one thing."

"What?"

"You said that you felt like giving up, right?"

"Well…"

"Don't you think that Peter felt that way after Gwen died?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Good morning," Mary Jane said as she walked into _The Daily Bugle_. "Peter, I thought that I would bring you some coffee." She paused as she noticed that he was intently reading something.

"What's wrong?"

"One of Warren's workers was murdered last night." He paused. "I'm going over to Warren's business to investigate…"

"I'm going with you."

"It's not safe…"

"Look…" She paused. "I already let you down once. I'm not going to make the same mistake."

"Warren," Peter said as he knocked on Warren's door.

"Such a tragedy," Warren said as he opened the door. "Listen, I wanted to apologize to you and Miss Watson for the test that I put you through. I wanted to strengthen you and then…"

"It's Mrs. Reilly and I want more of an explanation than that."

"Well, you're technically not Mrs. Reilly anymore." He paused. "I'm sorry, that was out of line."

"Peter, you're right. This was a mistake. I'm leaving."

"So soon," Warren questioned. "Well, if you must." He paused. "However, I think you'll soon discover who you can really trust in this world."

"I think I already know," Mary Jane answered before she left. However, before she even got to her apartment, something sedated her.

"When you alluded to the fact that you didn't want me to leave, you really meant it, didn't you," Mary Jane asked Warren.

"I had some news for you that I couldn't tell you in front of Peter." He paused. "Are you aware of what Peter's words were when he discovered Ben?"

"I don't want to know."

"He said, 'Ben was the clone.'"

"I…" She paused. "Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

"We both have a common enemy," he answered. "Norman Osborn."

"Right… and my alliance is with Peter and you're one of his enemies."

"Maybe I'm wrong about what he said, maybe I'm right." He paused. "There's only one way to find out."

"What is that?"

"Ask him indirectly."

The next morning, Mary Jane quickly drank another cup of coffee as she saw Peter approaching. "Caffeine rush this early in the morning," Peter jokingly asked.

"Well, you know me," she said nervously. "I have a lot of late nights when it comes to work and parties at work."

"All of this time, I thought that the late nights were due to the caffeine."

"Yeah, well…"

"What's wrong," Peter asked as he noticed Mary Jane's facial expression.

"Everything has just happened so quickly."

"I know." He paused. "It's almost like we went from one era of our lives to another entirely." He paused again. "Believe it or not, everybody understands what you're going through. In fact, I've been going through it myself since Liz…" He paused.

"Liz wouldn't want you to blame yourself for her death."

"I know… it's just that Ben…" He paused. "I'm sorry."

"Peter." She paused. "I'm glad you came. In fact, it's a relief to me."

"Oh, really… why?"

"Well, Warren had mentioned that when Ben died, you were…"

"I was relieved that he was the clone. I mean, I really thought that I was the clone and that he was the original, and I couldn't live like that."

"I don't believe this."

"What?"

"Warren was right." She paused. "He was right all along." She left.

Mary Jane tried to think about everything that had happened as she walked, but she couldn't. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. "Don't you hate it when somebody else is right?"

"Even though you were right…" She paused. "I can never work for you."

"But you could work for the side that deceived you?" He paused. "There's a time in everybody's life when they realize their correct path." He paused again. "It's the time."

"You're right." She paused.

"People thought he was a hero at first…" He paused. "However, once people started to lose their lives, the charade wasn't so funny anymore." He laughed slightly to himself. "He should've stopped after Rose Octavius discovered that her husband's hypothesis was wrong."

"He was a hero…" She paused. "He just…"

"He just didn't care about the people that he couldn't save?"

"Look…" She paused. "I just need some time to be alone."

"However, you're not alone." He paused. "I'm with you now. We're both fighting for the same thing…"

"No, we're not…" She paused. "I remember… I remember that you on purposely turned Peter and Ben against each other… I remember that you almost threw Liz to her death… We're not fighting for the same thing…"

"We are." He paused. "Peter was against Ben from the start. I had no influence on his actions. As for Liz, I was just hoping that there was still some good in John Jameson left. When he raced to save her, I thought that she was going to be safe. However, I was devastated to hear that she…" He paused.

"Look…" She paused. "At any rate, I just need some time to be alone."

"You sound like Peter." He walked away.


	93. Fork in the Road

**Chapter Five**

_Fork in the Road_

As Mary Jane walked, she was beginning to become overwhelmed. As she was thinking, she heard a familiar voice. "Do you remember the days when you longed for Peter? Well, when Ben came into your life, you wanted nobody else." It was Warren. Mary Jane smiled as she remembered, however, she quickly frowned.

"Your plan isn't going to work."

"Why not?"

"You're the enemy."

"I'm the enemy? Aren't you forgetting that the new hero didn't care that the old hero died?" He paused. "I know how difficult it has been for you since the deaths of Ben and Liz, but there is hope."

"What?"

"While I can't do anything about Liz, I can let you see Ben one last time." He paused. "However, I want something in return."

"What?"

"I want you to follow Peter around the city and trace his location so that we can get rid of that undeserving "hero.""

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Peter doesn't deserve that."

"_You_ don't deserve not to see Ben again. Peter could've stopped his death, but he didn't."

"What do you want me to do?"

Peter was sitting in his apartment when there was a knock on the door. When he opened the door, he saw a blonde woman. "Hi, I'm Nancy Jones… You're Peter Parker, right…"

"Yes… why?"

"Well, I'm researching a role and I think I could use your help."

"Why do you need my help with a role?"

"The role is Gwen Stacy Parker."

"I… I can't help you." Peter started to close the door.

"Please… I just want to make sure that I'm playing her accurately and that…"

After fifty minutes of talking about Gwen, Nancy looked at Peter. "Have you ever…" She paused. "This may sound awkward, but have you ever thought about moving on?"

"After Gwen died, I thought that I couldn't and…" He paused. "However, there was somebody, but it didn't work out."

"Why not?"

"She was with somebody else."

"What happened to the other person?"

"He died…" Peter paused. "I could've stopped his death, but I didn't… I was in the right place at the right time and…. It's just that after Gwen died, I thought that if I couldn't save the person who I loved the most, then I couldn't save anybody. Do you know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean." She paused. "I should go… My director is waiting…" Nancy abruptly left.

"Well, "Nancy," what did you find out," Warren asked Mary Jane as she took off the wig and the mask.

"He stayed in his apartment, but…" She paused. "Warren, you shouldn't be…"

"Don't tell me that he gave you false pleas of sorrow to avoid his own punishment." He paused. "Ben suffered because of him. Did he tell you where he was going tonight?"

"He said that he was going to the port for personal matters."

"What a coincidence."

"What?"

"I'm going to the port tonight myself." He left.

Peter, as Spider-man, went to the port to investigate an anonymous threat made against the dock matter. When he arrived at the port, he heard slow footsteps. Peter slowed down; however, the part of the dock that he was walking on was old and cracked. The dock caved in as shots rang out.

Mary Jane raced into the hospital. Suddenly, she saw Peter being wheeled in. She raced over to him. "Why did you send Warren there?"

"I never sent him there, I…"

"Why did you use Gwen against me?"

"Listen, I was upset over Ben and…"

"You had no right." He paused as he was wheeled into an elevator. "Just promise me that you'll stay away from him." The elevator doors closed.

"Warren," Mary Jane said as she raced into his lair.

"Brilliant plan, wasn't it?"

"You had no right."

"He had no right."

"You're incredibly smart at being incredibly idiotic." She paused. "I never should've worked with you." She started to leave.

"You never should've said that," Warren said as he held a knife against her neck.

Peter was lying in his hospital bed when Mary Jane walked in. "Hi," she said as she walked in. He didn't respond. "Look, I know what I did was wrong and…"

"You never should've used Gwen against me."

"I know." She paused as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to see him one more time." She paused. "However, I now know that having just one more day with him would never be enough for me."

"Don't you think I feel that way about Gwen?"

"I know you do." She paused. "Warren told me what you really said after you discovered that Ben…" She stopped.

"I should've explained that to you. I was just so relieved to discover that I wasn't the clone that…" He paused. "I always wished Ben the best and I know that he could always be a greater hero than I could ever be." He paused again. "However, Norman had other plans and…"

"Peter, you could always be the hero that Ben was."

"No, I can't be. I couldn't save Gwen and Liz died because…"

"Liz died because she believed in you, Peter."

"What about Ned?"

"Both of them believed in everything you stood for."

"I was the one who let chaos take over." He paused. "Before she died, Liz forgot that I was Spider-man, thanks to Warren." He paused. "I never fixed what Warren did because…" He paused. "She was happier without the information. It was enough stress for her with Ned and…" He paused again. "Ned hated me ever since Liz…" He started to trail off.

"Why didn't you ever tell Ned about your…"

"My second life? I didn't want him to worry or be in more danger than he was." He paused. "It just feels like I've been bearing this life for the longest time by myself and…"

"Maybe you won't have to bear it by yourself." She paused. "I'd be more than happy to help you…" She started to trail off.

"Well, I'd gladly accept any help I can get."

"I should get going."

"MJ?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, Spider-man." She smiled to herself as she closed the door.

At the police station, Officer Harlen was going to check on Warren. When he arrived at Warren's cell, he was horrified to discover that Warren wasn't there.


	94. Home Point

**Chapter Six**

_Home Point_

Pepper was sleeping on the second floor of George's Point when a noise startled her. She quickly pulled out a gun and faced the area where the noise was coming from. "Jumping to conclusions, aren't we, Miss Potts?"

"Sorry, Mr. Vier," she said as she quickly put the gun away. Mr. Vier was the accountant for Stark Industries.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear about your termination of employment, however, I'm not too sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your position is still open at Stark Industries."

"Tony never replaced me?" She paused. "I find that difficult to believe."

"In more ways than one."

"At any rate, I don't need a job."

"It would sure beat sleeping on the floor of an abandoned building, wouldn't it?"

Peter was at his apartment when there was a knock on the door. "Are you Peter Parker," the boy asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm Norman Osborn." He paused. "I'm Harry Osborn's son."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Hey, Peter," Harry said as he walked over from the neighbor's house. "I was wondering if I had the right address, so…" He paused. "Anne will be coming in a couple of days. Right now, she's on an international medical business trip." He paused. "Where are Gwen, Ned, Liz and Mary Jane? I can't wait to see everyone again."

"Uh, Harry, we really need to have a talk."

"Oh, Peter," Harry said after he heard everything that had happened. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I mean Gwen and Liz and Ned were great friends and…"

"So," Peter said quickly. "How have you been?"

"My life has completely turned around. My main doctor was Anne Pine. Eventually, we fell in love and got married and had Norman." He smiled. "I can't wait until dad finally gets to meet my family."

"I'm sure that he can't wait either." Peter frowned to himself. Norman had gone missing since Ben's death and the attempted murder of Mary Jane and Warren had just gone off the radar screen. How in the world was he supposed to explain to his best friend that his father was now desperately trying to escape punishment for murder?

"Everybody," Mr. Vier said. "Brace yourself. Tony's plane is landing right now." Pepper tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes. She didn't want Tony to see that she had been crying. "Everyone…" Mr. Vier paused. "Tony Stark!" Obadiah raced towards the plane as Tony walked down the steps. "Finally, I was tired of you being missing in action."

"How is that any different than any other time when you've covered press conferences for me," Tony remarked.

"Touché."

"Pepper…" Tony paused as he walked towards her. Have you been working hard?"

"More like hardly working. Why work when the boss isn't around?"

"I like your attitude. I know why you came back."

"Oh, really." She paused. "Why?"

"You missed me too much."

"No, in all honesty, I just didn't want to see your checkbook fall to pieces when I wasn't there to figure out where the missing check was." She paused. "Brilliant but a slob."

"Aren't we all?"

"You called and said that it was urgent," Mary Jane said as she walked into Peter's apartment. "What's wrong?"

"Hi, MJ," Harry said.

"Harry! How are you!? Oh, it's been so long since you've been here that…"

"I know." He paused. "However, I've turned my life around. My wife, Anne, can't wait to meet you; however, she's out on an international business trip. However, you can meet my son, Norman." He paused. "Dad's going to be so proud that I named my son after him."

"Yeah," Mary Jane said. "So proud." She frowned to herself.

"Dad, you wanted me to meet somebody?"

"Yes, son…" Harry paused. "This is Peter Parker and this is Mary Jane Watson, my friends."

"It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Peter said hesitantly.

"Uh, Norman, could I talk to Peter and Mary Jane for a minute," Harry asked.

"Sure." Norman left. Harry looked at Peter.

"Listen, again, I'm so sorry about Gwen. I'm sure that dad was very supportive."

"Oh, yes," Mary Jane said quickly. "He was very supportive."

"Pepper," Tony said. "Do you have my scheduling book?"

"Yes… why?"

"I want to hold a press conference."

"Now… are you sure that you're up to it?"

"I've slept through most of my press conferences. Why should this one be any different?"

"Good point."

"I can't tell him. I can't." Peter paused as Mary Jane looked at him.

"Peter, we can't keep this façade going on forever."

"Why can't we?"

"He'll be stopping by the mansion, and soon enough, he'll find out that Norman Osborn is missing in action. Or, he'll find that his father has become a completely deranged lunatic."

"Why did Harry have to come back now," Peter groaned.

"I know that I look like I'm running on coffee…" Tony paused. "However, I look that way at all of my press conferences, so why should this one be any different?" Tony paused as laughter filled the room. "In all seriousness, the real reason why I held this press conference was to let everyone know the new direction that Stark Industries was going in." He paused. "While I was being held captive, I met a brilliant man named Dr. Yinsen. Dr. Yinsen should've been discovering new elements of engineering or he should've been saving lives, but instead, he was being held captive by merciless captors just for one reason." He paused. "They could hold him captive because they had my weapons." He paused again. "Before my captivity, I considered my weapons to be necessary survival tools. During my captivity, I saw my weapons being used as tools that produced fear and denied independence." He paused again. "As for Dr. Yinsen, he eventually died because of my weapons. So…" He paused. "Effective immediately, Stark Industries will no longer be producing weapons." Tony left the podium as thumbs flew across phones and pens flew across notepads. Pepper looked happy and concerned while Obadiah raced towards the podium.

"Uh, obviously, Tony is still recovering, so, we'll wish him the best until he gets back to normal." Obadiah frowned.

"Harry," Peter began.

"Oh, Peter…" Harry paused.

"What's wrong?"

"Peter…" He paused. "I know everything. I know that you're Spider-man and that Norman…" He paused as the phone rang. "Hello?" Harry paused. "Oh no… NO!"

"Harry, what's wrong?" Harry didn't say anything as he stormed past his friend. Peter looked after him until he noticed a paper on the table with the headline: DR. ANNE OSBORN DIES IN PLANE CRASH: WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SECRET HOSPITAL?


	95. Never at Home

**Chapter Seven**

_Never at Home_

Peter was walking to _The Daily Bugle_ when he heard something behind him. As he turned around, he was shocked to discover Harry using Norman's Goblin costume and his glider. "Harry…" Peter paused. "Listen, I'm sorry… I know that I should've told you about Norman before and…"

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me for that…" Harry paused. "You should be apologizing for Anne's death."

"Harry, I'm sorry that I couldn't get to her in time and…"

"Don't worry, Peter, you won't be able to reach Mary Jane in time." Harry left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Mary Jane…"

"Peter? I'm surprised to hear from you this early…"

"Trust me, there's a good reason for my phone call. Listen, you're not safe."

"Peter…" She paused. "What are you talking about?"

"Harry's determined to get vengeance for Anne by murdering you."

"Peter…" She paused. "Harry needs help and guidance. I need to talk to him…"

"Mary Jane…" He paused. "I can't risk your safety. Not after what happened to Gwen." He paused. "I love you."

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused before she hung up. She had to find Harry.

Mary Jane slowly woke up from a sedative on the Brooklyn Bridge. She screamed as she saw a greenish thing approaching her. However, once she fully woke up, her grief over Ben's death overtook her. "Why did you kill him," she demanded.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Harry," she said in shock. "Why are you..."

"Dressed like this?" He paused. "I'm continuing the legacy that my father started."

"Harry…" She paused. "I know that all of this has been difficult for you and I'm sorry about Anne and about Norman's demise, but…"

"My father started this legacy because he knew who Spider-man was better than anybody else did."

"I know that you're angry because Peter wasn't able to save Anne and I don't blame you."

"Then, why are you trying to defend him!?"

"Because I know that when Peter can't save someone, he feels like he failed that person in a way that he can never make up."

"He'll never be able to make this up to you, then." He paused as he watched her facial expression. "You aren't crying, begging for mercy, anything?"

"Harry…" She paused. "I've had so many near death experiences that…" She paused again. "I'm sorry. I know that it sounded like I was trying to belittle the seriousness of death, but I wasn't."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you lost what I lost."

"Harry…" She paused. "I did."

J.J.J. was on vacation since the news about John went public, so each reporter at _The Daily Bugle_ was primarily responsible for finding their own stories. The temporary replacement was mostly there to make sure that everything was being done on time. As Peter searched the internet, one of his coworkers looked out of the window. "Something's happening on the Brooklyn Bridge." As Peter walked over to the window to see what the commotion was, he started to panic. Suddenly, he left. "Oh, sure, just take the rest of the afternoon off, why don't you?"

"When Gwen died, that was a terrible time for Peter." Mary Jane paused. "He decided that if he couldn't save her, then he couldn't save anybody. So, he stopped being Spider-man." She couldn't tell him the truth that his father, Norman Osborn was the one responsible for Ben's demise. "Anyway, Miles Warren, an insane scientist had gathered some of Peter's DNA and he produced a clone named Ben Reilly." She paused. "I was initially attracted to Ben because of similar qualities that he shared with Peter, however, I eventually fell in love with him and we got married and then he…" She paused. "He passed away." She paused again. "Do you remember that astronaut that I was engaged to just for the big sum of money that both of us were going to receive?"

"How could I forget?" He paused. "John Jameson, right?"

"Yes…" She paused. "Anyway, he came back to town, opened an asylum and developed a friendship with Liz. As their friendship progressed, various murders were being reported to the police department and…" She paused. "On Liz's wedding day, she was kidnapped and Warren possessed her… We found out later that the monstrous thing that kidnapped her at her wedding day was John, who had been undergoing some weird transformations that turned him into this cruel and merciless creature that murdered anything in his sight…" She paused. "After Peter retrieved Liz, she was kidnapped again." She paused. "The only difference was that this time she didn't survive because John murdered her." She paused again. Her eyes had started to water when she started to tell Harry about Ben, but now, she couldn't hold back the tears. "I know that you think that you're the only one who lost everything. I know that you think that every day is terrible and that it will never get good again. After I lost Ben and Liz, I wanted to give up. Ben was the love of my life and Liz was my best friend…" She paused. "However, two people convinced me to hold on… to see the light of another day. Peter Parker and Pepper Potts were there for me throughout all of it. They were there to reassure me to hold on… just hold on to one more day." She paused. "If you can't hold on for us, Harry, hold on for Normie. He doesn't deserve to lose both parents at the same time." She paused again. "Peter tried his best to save Anne like he tried to save Ben and Liz. However, despite his best efforts, tragedy overcame us."

"Peter's life is destined to be centered around tragedy, isn't it," Harry asked. "Because of Ben's death, he became Spider-man…"

"You're right. He became Spider-man because of Uncle Ben's death." She paused. "He has continually lost and regained his destiny because of the tragedies around him. However, one day he will triumph permanently and on that day, I hope… I really hope… that you're there to celebrate it with us."

"I want to be." He paused. "Anne would want me to be."

"Then, take me home, Harry."

He picked her up. "Dad!"

"Normie?" He carefully set Mary Jane down on the bridge before he raced over to his son. "How did you get up here?"

""That nice man helped me."

"What nice man?"

"Hello, Mary Jane," the man said as he walked towards them. "I'm sure that you remember me…"

"Harry, that's Warren!"

"Don't you hate it, Mr. Osborn, when somebody has one of your weapons?" He threw a pumpkin-shaped bomb towards them.

"Mary Jane, grab Norman!"

"I won't watch you die, Harry!"

"I won't let either of you die." He pushed Mary Jane and Norman away from him.

"Dad," Norman yelled as he ran towards Harry.

"No!" Mary Jane was trying to hope that everything could be different.

"Mary Jane," Peter said as he walked down the stairs. "They're ready for us."

"I'm coming," she said. Both of their eyes were starting to water. "I wish we could've done more for Harry and Norman…"

"Both of them died because they believed in what we believed in. That justice could triumph over evil." He smiled weakly. "And Harry Osborn did not follow his father's legacy…"


	96. A Lot of Explaining

**Chapter Eight**

_A Lot of Explaining_

"Peter," Mary Jane said as she walked into his apartment. "Harry's death wasn't your fault."

"Ever since I became Spider-man, I have watched everyone suffer because of me. Gwen, May, Liz, Ben, you… now… Harry…"

"Peter, it wasn't your fault. Warren…" Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "I'll answer it." Mary Jane walked over to the door.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

"Peter!"

"Who is it?"

"It's Aunt May."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Pepper sighed as she watched what seemed to be the fiftieth bashing of Tony's new business scam. "Funny. They thought I was a brilliant businessman before."

"Tony," Pepper said as she turned off the TV. "I didn't know that you were in here…"

"Of course you didn't. If you did, you would've left the room."

"Very funny."

"Tony… and Pepper," Obadiah said as he walked into the room.

"Hey, Obie, why are you up here?"

"Tony… we need to have a talk."

"Oh no… you aren't going to break up with me, are you?"

"Well, it's tempting, but not exactly." Obadiah paused. "Excuse us, Pepper." They left.

"We've been so worried about you," Mary Jane said as she hugged May. "What in the world happened to you?"

"I'm fine, trust me, Mary Jane." She paused.

"Trust me," Peter said to her. "Spider-man is doing everything he can to…"

"Peter," May interrupted him, "I know the truth."

"Remember this technology," Obadiah asked Tony as they walked into the "Peace" room.

"Yes…" Tony paused as he walked around. "The Peace Room… why did you bring me here, out of curiousity?"

"Do you remember when you moaned about building this room because we had to show everybody that we cared about peace when all we cared about was making a profit next quarter?"

"Yes, but…"

"I miss that Tony."

"How… how…" Peter couldn't get the words out.

"I…" May remembered Liz's note. She couldn't tell him the truth, so… "One time when I was at your apartment, I discovered the outfit in your room. It happened shortly before my disappearance…"

"Oh, Aunt May, I'm sorry that now you have to carry the burden of my secret…"

"Peter, I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you. And I'm going to support you, whether it's at science fairs or watching you set criminals straight…"

"I know, but I'm concerned about your safety."

"Peter…" She paused. "At my age, I could die as easily from just trying to get to the front porch to get a newspaper as I could from some lunatic…" She smiled.

"I never left."

"Mr. Stark may be here, but Tony is still out there." Obadiah paused. "I can't wait until he comes back."

"Listen, Obie, I'm still me, I just had a change of heart."

"You're not you. The real Tony Stark would never have a change of heart. The real Tony was counting down the days until he could destroy this useless technology…"

"I can't destroy this, Obie."

"Why not?"

"It's the only thing that's keeping me alive."

"You have to tell me what happened," Peter said to Aunt May. "I need to know what kidnapped you so that I can make sure that they won't hurt anybody else."

"They aren't going to hurt anybody else; Peter and I don't want you to go after him."

"Why not?"

"Because I love him."

"Look, Tony…" Obadiah paused. "One day, when you're back to yourself, we'll talk. In the meantime, I'll wait." He paused. "In the meantime, I'll handle the press." Obadiah left. Tony looked at the technology.

"His name is Adrian Toomes, not the Vulture," May explained to Peter.

"He's not even human. He doesn't deserve…"

"Well, you're Spider-man… don't you deserve a name?"

"A plane is nothing without his pilot." James paused. "Like a ship without direction, a plane is nothing without his pilot."

"More like James Rhodes would be nothing without his job," Tony said as he walked into the transportation room.

"Stark." James smiled. "Uh, everybody, take a break." Once all of the training pilots left the room, Tony looked at James.

"Rhodey, I need your help."

"With what?"

"Remember that technology that we thought was totally useless?"

"It is totally useless." Rhodey paused. "Isn't it?"

"Adrian's wife died at the hands of a bank robber." May paused. "That what made him take up his double life."

"You're so understanding of him," Peter said in shock. "Aren't you upset with him at all?"

"I was understanding with you after Gwen died, wasn't I?"

"Was I really that bad?"

"Let's just say that you've seen better days." She paused. "No, I was angry with him." She paused again. "He took away my true love."

"Wait a minute, Ben's killer…"

"Not Ben, Peter." She paused. "Robert. He proposed before Adrian came and I accepted. I was so angry after Robert's death that I almost broke your principal rule."

"What is that?"

"Always value human life first."

"I really haven't been there for you, have I?"

"It's okay, Peter." She paused. "I understand." She started to walk into his room. "So, what made you resume your second career?"

"It was…" He paused. "Liz's death." He paused again. "I feel like I let Liz down… that I was responsible for her death because I had given up because of Gwen…"

"Liz believed in you, Peter."

"Until she was no longer allowed to."

"What are you talking about," May asked as if she did not know.

"I had Liz's memories of my dual identity erased. From her wedding up to her death, she just knew me as her friendly neighborhood Peter Parker."

"How was Liz acting before she lost her memories of who you really were?"

"My secret was creating stress for her. I wanted to give her the best wedding day that I could, so…" He looked off into the distance.

"Peter…" She paused. She had had such a difficult time trying to forgive Liz because she thought that Liz gave up on Peter when Peter needed her the most. However, she also realized that nobody should have to go through everything Liz went through because she knew of Peter's secret. "You did the right thing." To her own surprise, May's eyes started to water. "I wish that she was here and…"

"I do to." Peter paused. "Every day."


	97. Past in the Present

**Chapter Nine**

_Past in the Present_

"Bruce," Betty said as she walked into the motel. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" He paused. "It's just that I was trying to control my blood pressure…"

"What happened?"

"I was having flashbacks of all of the battles with General Ross…"

"Bruce…" She paused. "We need to talk to him. I'll go with you… I'll change his mind, somehow."

"No, Betty, his mind will never be changed. He wants to use my powers as a weapon so that he can prove himself."

"The only thing that it would prove would be…"

"Betty…" Bruce paused. "He wants to get rid of his most significant mistake."

"Well, then, who can we turn to? We can't be on the run forever."

"Mary Jane."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter, as Spider-man, didn't know what happened to him. One minute, he was swinging through the city, the next he was… "I've wanted to talk to you for quite some time now." It was Warren.

"So, holding a prisoner captive under the premises of sedation… this is what you call a conversation?"

"Sometimes, you really have to force people to listen to what you have to say."

"I'm not interested in what you have to say."

"Oh, this time, I think you will be." He paused. "It affects Liz Allan Richardson Leeds."

"If you dare say anything about…"

"I'm not going to mention her murder." He paused. "I guess I should've said that I was going to mention her murder. I wanted to offer my condolences. It's such a shame that she trusted the wrong people, you know? I mean, if she knew ahead of time that John Jameson was an insane asylum owner, she would still be here trying to save you from yourself instead of being ripped to shreds."

"You…" Peter struggled against his confinements.

"I'm giving you a rare opportunity." Warren paused. "I'm giving you the opportunity to kill me."

There was a knock on the door at Mary Jane's apartment. "Betty… Bruce…"

"Quick, hurry before General Ross can send every armed unit after Bruce," Betty said quickly.

"At least you've been able to keep your sense of humor throughout this whole thing," Mary Jane said as Betty and Bruce entered into her apartment.

"It's been difficult, believe me," Betty said as she sat down.

"I can imagine." Mary Jane paused. "So, how was your trip through the city?"

"Well, an impromptu traffic inspection, trying to walk through the city without being spotted and almost being killed by an insane cabbie…" She paused. "It was okay."

"Hey, things could be worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Ross could've sent his army after you."

"I know." She paused. "If he sends the army…"

"If he sends the army, you won't be outnumbered."

"Oh, yeah, and how in the world would we not be outnumbered?"

"You have a Hulk." She smiled.

"But then again, why in the world would you want to kill me," Warren said. "Because, technically, I've done nothing wrong."

"Warren, I remember," Peter said angrily. "You were trying to convince both Ben and I that we were just insane clones…"

"I was trying to see who could be the true hero." He paused. "Both of you passed my test. When things are down, it can bring out the best… or the worst in people. Poor Ned…"

"Poor Ned… poor Ned!? You were the one who was ready to drop Liz to her death…"

"I needed to see that there was still some good left in this world. You see, I knew about John Jameson's problem and I needed to convince myself that he still cared about human life."

"What about all of the other tests you put me through!?"

"You mean almost drowning you at your engagement party? That was another test. I was going to save you from your predicament if you didn't figure it out in time. But people like the Goblin and Jameson, who murder the people closest to you to bring you down, they're the villains." Warren started to untie him. "However, if you still blame me, by all means, get your revenge."

"So, what are you planning on doing now," Mary Jane asked.

"Actually, we need your help…"

"Sure…"

"Well, we know you have two guest rooms… we'd promise that we'd pay rent… we just need a place to stay while we figure out our next move…"

"No… I can't…"

"Oh, well, uh… I'm sorry and we'll uh…"

"I can't accept rent from you," she said, interrupting them.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, if I was in the same position, you'd take me in with no questions asked."

"Thank you." Betty paused. "If you have to put up with Ross and his band of less than merry men…"

"Trust me." Mary Jane paused. "If I could live with General Ross, I can deal with the occasional surprise visit from him." She smiled.

"Warren, you seem to know a lot about heroism," Peter said as he walked towards him. "However, there's one thing you don't know." He paused. "No matter how much a hero is tempted, they will never take revenge." Then, he walked away.

"There's something else," Betty said. She held out her hand.

"Oh, you're engaged! Oh, I'm so happy for both of you!" Mary Jane hugged Betty.

"Are you sure that it won't bother you?"

"Why would it bother me?"

"Well, with Ben, we weren't sure if you were going to come to the wedding, but…"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything. I miss Ben, but I want to be there for you."

"There's one more thing." She paused. "Would you be my matron of honor?"

"Yes." Mary Jane paused as she thought back to Liz's wedding. It had always slightly bothered her that Liz had always wanted Gwen to be the main person in her wedding party, not because she had any negative feelings towards Gwen, but because she knew that Liz would never look at her the same way she looked at Liz: her best friend. "Well, I can say one thing."

"What's that," Betty asked.

"It's going to be an incredible wedding."

"It's a bit early in the wedding planning to be starting with the puns," Betty groaned.


	98. Eclipse of Time

**Chapter Ten**

_Eclipse of Time_

Pepper slowly walked down the steps. However, when she looked at Tony's situation, she raced towards him. "Tony… what happened!?"

"Pepper, remember the day that you told me that you felt like killing me?"

"Tony, that's not funny now…"

"Well, today is your lucky day."

Dr. Connors looked at Peter as he was coming out of Secret Hospital. "Relax, Dr. Connors," Peter said as he walked towards him. "I'm just here to do some research." He paused when he noticed that Dr. Connors still looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Peter… I've been noticing that you've been spending a lot of time here lately…"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing… it's just that…" He paused. "Gwen would want you to be happier than you are now…"

"I should be going," Peter said quickly. He left.

Dr. Connors thought for a minute. Suddenly, he smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Anyway, I need you to help me out with this," Tony said as he pointed to the empty hole in his chest.

"Why in the world do you want me to help me out with this?"

"By the time we go to a hospital, fill out the paperwork, they figure out how they're going to fix me, I'll be dead by then. The clock is ticking. Besides, you're the most…"

"Responsible person I know? Believe me, I've heard that before."

"Well, if you heard me say that before, it must be true."

"Things aren't always true with you."

"Well, like I said the clock is ticking." He paused. "No pressure, though."

"What about the person who helped you out before?"

"He can't help now because he's a little six feet under."

"Tony…"

"I'm being serious." He paused. "His name was Dr. Yinsen…"

"I know… you told everybody at the press conference…"

"Hey, let a dying man bore you with a background story." He paused. "Anyway…"

_When Peter arrived home, Aunt May opened the door. "Peter, there's something I have to tell you…" She paused. "I just don't know how you're going to respond."_

_ "What is it?"_

_ "Well, I'm holding a housewarming party…." She paused. "It's for our new next door neighbor… I told you about her…"_

_ "Yes… you said that her name was Mary Jane Watson…"_

_ "Well, she's a bit much to…"_

_ "May," Mary Jane said as she walked through the door. "This is sweet of you, but I've seen these set up situations before. I know that you want the best for Peter, but…"_

_"Listen, Watson," Peter interrupted. "I just want to welcome you to the neighborhood. That's all. I'm not one of those obsessive love at first sight types, and if you are, I'm sorry, but you'll need to find a neighbor." He started to leave._

_ "Wait," she said. "You're kind of the bookish type, but you also have the assertiveness of the confidence type."_

_ "Are you done insulting me?" He paused. "Because you're not exactly making the greatest first impression either…"_

_"Well," Tony began. "I had just sold a lot of Stark Industry products. It was a high point in my career… well, one attack and all of that changed… I met this guy named Dr. Yinsen… Well, he met me first… I was on a well, I guess you could call it a recovery bed and Yinsen was tending to me... He startled me because I thought that he may be working for them until he said, "I'm on your side… for once. You need to pick your allies more carefully." Then, he showed me my new heart and he told me that I would have to replace it with a better prototype one day in order to stay alive. Which is why you're here helping me today… Anyway, I soon discovered who the enemy was… They had a ring leader and their accents and language were so difficult for me to understand… Luckily, Yinsen understood them perfectly. He told me that they considered me to be a mass murderer at the same time, which was a sentiment which I had just started to acknowledge myself. Anyway, they told me that I must build them the ultimate weapon. I refused at first, so, they put me under water torture, literally, until I accepted. When they walked out, Yinsen was shocked. He said, "What were you thinking? You're actually going to help them out!?"_

_ "You know for a doctor, you're actually incredibly stupid."_

_ "So, you're not going to help them out?"_

_ "No… I have something much better planned."_

_ "Can I help you?"_

_ "Do I have a weird device that's serving as my heart?"_

"So, uh, I'm sorry about what I said earlier," Mary Jane said. "Even though that's not exactly how you or I said it…"

"Yeah, what was going on with that," Peter asked.

"Some people wear masks for fun. I wear them to hide my true emotions."

"That sounds incredibly Shakespearean. Would you mind explaining what you just said?"

"It doesn't need an explanation."

"Yes, it does."

_Well, Yinsen had a great impact on my life. "How much sleep do you get before you give a press conference?"_

_ "Not much. Why?"_

_ "It's obvious." Yinsen paused. "If the speaker is acting like he needs a gallon of coffee, how do you think the audience feels?"_

_ "We met before?"_

_ "Yes." He paused. "While you were sleeping."_

_ He also reminded me to make sure that if I died, I had the right legacy in place. He also said that he wanted me to remember that there's more to life than just penthouses and that family and friends are the greatest gifts one could ever get._

"Wow," Pepper said. "I'm surprised you would listen to someone like him."

"I didn't… he just wasn't overly pushy about it, so, it actually registered."

"Naturally."

_Well, they kept checking on our work progress, usually at gun point. Yinsen and I kept working on my special surprise and Yinsen would always sarcastically call me "the great Tony Stark." It was a nice change of pace. Well, one day, they decided to use the guns. They were aiming at me… and Yinsen… he stood in front of me and he saved me._

"Oh, Tony, I'm so sorry." Pepper paused. "I mean, he was the first person who you truly cared about that you lost…"

"Yeah…" He paused. "Although," He said quickly. "Yinsen was sarcastic up to the end. When I asked him why he would do this, he responded, "The great Tony Stark wasn't going to die today. He still had to make a _real_ impact on the world." He paused. "Wait, we're done!?"

"Yeah, surprisingly enough, installing your new heart was less pain staking than I thought…"

"For you, maybe!" He paused. "You could've caused me to have a heart attack."

"That would've caused me great joy." Pepper smiled. "Well, I should be going." She started to leave. "Hey, Tony?"

"Yes?"

"How did you escape?"

"I already told you. That special project…"

"What special project?"

"I'll tell you when you're older." He paused. "Maybe."

"Can I help you," Dr. Connors asked Aunt May as she walked into Secret Hospital.

"Yes…" She paused. "I want to know what in the world are you doing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson have gone missing and all of the signs seem to point to you…"

"I'm giving them an opportunity they never had." He paused. "I'm making them realize what life would be like if they never met Gwen or Ben."

"I'm so sorry, MJ," Peter said after Mary Jane told him about her family's past history. "If there's anything I can do to help you, I promise, I will."

"Thanks, Pete." She paused.

"Mary Jane?"

"Yes?"

"I know that one day, your life will be better. I am going to get you out of this situation. You have to trust me."

"For once in my life…" She paused. "I do trust somebody." They kissed.

"You can't do this," May said.

"Why can't I," Dr. Connors asked.

"They need their memories of their loved ones. I mean I still cherish and need my memories of Ben, Robert and…"

"The Vulture?"

"He has a name."

"Of course he does. So do you, even though you're known around here as the Black Widow. Romanoff has nothing on you…"

"Who?"

"No one."

"Listen, I am not a Black Widow. I'm just looking out for Peter and Mary Jane." She paused. "I'm going to stop your little experiment. They need their memories. Without their memories… a second chance may not be possible because they'll never know that they need a second chance." She walked over to the laboratory controls. As soon as she pressed the STOP button, Peter and Mary Jane were shocked. Why in the world were they in Dr. Connor's lab and why were they… kissing?

"Well," Peter said as he tried to walk as far away from her as he could, "That was awkward."

"It was awkward," Mary Jane said as she was trying to walk as far away from him as she could. She paused. "I… I need to get going. I have an audition." She left.

Tony walked around in his garage. He opened a cabinet. He smiled at what was inside. "Jarvis, isn't this a big improvement from the suit that Yinsen and I created using various materials?" Jarvis was Tony's computerized "butler."

"For once, I'd have to agree with you sir."

"Thank you." He closed the cabinet.


	99. Question of Sanity

**Chapter Eleven**

_Question of Sanity_

Peter was walking through the city when somebody stopped him. "You know," they said, "You're the first person I would expect to become a hero. You know the constant do right for mankind types. How… boring… At least I kept some of my snarky attitude when I decided to become a hero…"

"What in the world are you talking about, Stark?"

"You know… I called you several times… you never return my calls… I'm starting to think that you want to get a divorce…"

"I definitely want a divorce. I'm not interested in your team idea."

"Ouch. I never knew that you weren't non-profit."

"I am non-profit. It's just that you could never be serious about…" Peter stopped when he looked across the street. He raced away from Tony.

"What, did my snarky attitude finally have an effect on you?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter looked at his target carefully. Adrian Toomes, more commonly known as the Vulture to the city, was looking directly at him. This was going to be his chance to put Adrian where he belonged: behind bars. However, Adrian just smiled at him and said, "So, this is an awkward way to meet my future son-in-law."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"He's going to be awhile," Tony said to himself before he left.

"Are you sure about this," Betty asked Bruce as they were preparing to leave Mary Jane's apartment.

"I'm positive. We can't leave Mary Jane in this position. Ross would look here first, especially since she is your adoptive sister."

"Bruce, one day…" She paused. "One day, I hope we can stop running."

"I never wanted to run."

"I know…" She paused. "I know that one day; you'll be able to control the Hulk."

"I don't want to control it, Betty." He paused. "I want to get rid of it."

"Freeze! We have the place completely surrounded." Betty and Bruce jumped. They desperately tried to look around for an escape, but they were too late… "I'm sorry… I just had to see your faces!" It was Tony.

Peter woke up in Aunt May's house. "What is your problem," he yelled at Adrian.

"Nothing?" He paused. "Yours?"

"Take it easy on him, Adrian," May said as she walked into the room. "Peter, I know that this is a big shock to you, but…"

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Give Adrian a chance to speak, Peter," Mary Jane as she walked into the room. "You may change your mind."

"Aunt May, could you give Mary Jane and I a chance to talk about this first?"

"Definitely."

"Tony," Betty screamed. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Possibly."

"Give him a chance to speak, Betty." Bruce paused. "Why are you here, Mr. Stark?"

"Please, follow your girlfriend's lead and call me Tony." He paused. "I need your help. I'm forming a team and I've heard that your temper tantrums are extraordinary…"

"You could say that." Bruce paused. "What kind of team?"

"Give me a chance to explain." Tony smiled.

"Peter," Mary Jane began. "Please give him a chance to explain."

"Why should I?" He paused. "I have sympathy for him because he lost his wife, but what he did was inexcusable. Under no circumstances should he have killed Robert and kidnapped Aunt May…"

"Listen… grief does strange and unusual things to people."

"It doesn't."

"Peter, how many times did both of us come very close to killing Norman because of our grief?"

"That is absolutely insane," Betty said after Tony finished.

"Listen, Betty," Tony began. "I, more than anyone, except for Bruce, understand the Hulk." He looked at Bruce. "I know that both of you have been looking at it as a curse, but, in some ways, you need to look at it as a blessing."

"What do you mean," Bruce asked.

"Well," Tony said as he pointed to his chest. "I wasn't a huge fan of having my heart replaced with this contraption. I'm sure that you weren't a huge fan of losing your ability to manage your anger effectively." He paused. "However, without these things, both of us would be six feet under."

"Okay, I'll play your game," Bruce answered. "It saved my life, but look at who it turned me into. A murderous psychopath who has no chance of living with civilians."

"That's because _you_ let it be that way."

"Listen, Mr. Stark," Betty said. "I'm sure that you meant well, but we're not interested in this proposition at this time."

"Wow, you must be desperate to get me to leave because you've suddenly become formal on me…" He started to leave.

"Wait, Tony," Bruce said. He looked at Betty. "He's right."

"MJ," Peter said. "You have no idea what's happening to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Adrian has both of you on some mind control thing or something…"

"Peter…" She paused.

"No, listen to me! I need to get both of you to Dr. Connors right now…" He started to leave.

"Peter," She said as she stopped him. "It's nothing like that."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"I was suspicious myself, so, I visited Dr. Connors and nothing is wrong with me." She paused. "Adrian wanted to reform, but he never knew how to until he met Aunt May. Through her, he gained the ability to be human again."

"That sounds so archaic and corny."

"Well, it's true." She paused. "You of all people should know that." She left the room. "Oh, no."

"What's wrong," Peter asked as he raced out.

"They're gone."

"Bruce…" Betty paused.

"I've been seeing this thing as a curse and using it as a curse for the longest time," Bruce began. "It's definitely time for a change."

"I can't let you do this," Betty said. "This is insane and you could get killed…"

"I'm not changing my mind."

"I'm not changing my mind." Betty left.

"And that, my dear Bruce," Tony began. "That is why I do not get seriously involved with women."

"Peter, relax," Mary Jane said. "They left a note."

"Well, what does it say?"

"Peter…" She paused. "They're going to elope."

"If anyone has any objections to these two marrying, speak now or…"

"I do," Peter said as he and Mary Jane raced down the aisle.

"Peter…" Aunt May paused.

"I can't let you get married." Peter paused. "Not until I have the chance to welcome Adrian into our family." He turned to Adrian. "You're going to be a great husband and uncle." He paused. "Continue on."

"And you thought _I_ was archaic and corny," Mary Jane whispered to him.


	100. Chance of Redemption

**Chapter Twelve**

_Chance of Redemption_

"What's going on," Mary Jane asked Bruce and Tony as she entered into her apartment.

"Betty left," Bruce explained.

"We thought that she would go to you for support."

"Well, obviously, she didn't," Mary Jane said.

"Bruce," Tony said. "We have severely overestimated the power of the "womance."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Let me go to Stan's." Mary Jane started to leave.

"Who's Stan," Tony asked.

"He's the owner of Betty and Bruce's favorite restaurant," Mary Jane explained. "I can only hope that she'll be there." She left.

When Mary Jane walked into Stan's restaurant, she was happily surprised to see that Pepper was there to comfort Betty. "Bruce is worried about you," Mary Jane said as she walked over to the table.

"No, I'm worried about him." She paused. "How could he do this?"

"You mean how could he take something that's determined to destroy mankind and try to control it so that it will save mankind?"

"I'm sure that everything is black and white to you, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't." Mary Jane paused. "I know what you're going through."

"Pepper," Betty began. "Could Mary Jane and I have a minute to talk?"

"Sure," Pepper said hesitantly. "Betty, if you need to talk, I'm here for you," she said before she left.

"I thought that you would be on my side," Betty said to Mary Jane once Pepper left.

"I am."

"Then why are you…"

"Why am I taking Bruce's side?" She paused. "Betty, nothing is going to destroy the Hulk. One day, both you and Bruce are going to be forced to face the fact that you'll have to live with this."

"We already face that fact, Mary Jane, every day."

"I know." She paused. "My best friend, Liz Allan Richardson Leeds, was committed to protecting the city, along with her husband, Ned. Well, one day, Liz and I were kidnapped by two different people. I survived, she didn't." Her eyes started to water.

"Oh, Mary Jane, I'm so sorry…" Betty paused.

"She was always convinced that I was this superficial person who wore a mask to hide my true emotions. She was right. I'm done hiding my emotions."

"Wait, if she thought that, then how were you…"

"Best friends? She was my best friend. I was never her best friend."

"What do you mean?"

"Liz couldn't get past the first impression that I had made by accident. Her best friend was always Gwen."

"I know what it's like to feel separated from someone you care about. I always wanted to be with Bruce, but with his condition…"

"Then, why aren't you with him now?"

"Bruce," Tony said. "We have another problem."

"What?"

"Remember that super solider who was giving you one heck of a time?"

"Yeah… why?"

"Well, he's at it again." Tony paused. "Emil Blonsky has been working with General Ross because Emil wanted the same serum to be injected into him that was injected into you."

"Don't tell me…"

"Ross complied with his wishes, Bruce, and basically, they created an… abomination." He paused. "So, are you ready to test out your new version of the Hulk?"

"I don't have much of a choice, now, do I?"

"It's too complicated," Betty explained to Mary Jane.

"There's something I didn't tell you about Liz. After her death, Ned went from being this symbol of hope for the society to this murderous psychopath that nobody wanted to deal with." She paused. "When Ben died, he was still a symbol of hope for the society. I was always grateful that at least one of the great legacies could still be maintained…" She paused. "Although, don't think that I'm blaming Ned because I could never blame Ned for that."

"So, you're saying that…" She paused because she couldn't say it.

"If Bruce ever died from becoming the Hulk, would you rather have his legacy be remembered as a hero's triumph or a villain's demise?" She left.

When Mary Jane got back to her apartment, it was empty. She decided to call Tony to find out what had happened.

Peter, as Spider-man, raced over by Tony. "About time you showed up. I almost had to give up the cheap seats. Don't you love ringside seats, by the way?"

"Enough of the snarky attitude, Tony." He paused. "What is going on?"

"Bruce Banner is about to prove himself, for once."

"What are you talking about," Peter asked.

"I showed him that something good could be created from something bad."

"Tony… you're a genius."

"I already knew that, however, I'm shocked that I'm hearing it from you."

"Well, enjoy it this time, because you won't be hearing it again."

"I know." Tony's phone rang. "Hello?"

"Tony? It's Mary Jane. Is Betty with you?"

"No… did you lose her again?"

"I think I did. I thought she would come to find you."

"She did," Tony said as he looked ahead. Bruce was carrying an unconscious Betty away from a burning building. "Can I call you back?" He hung up.

"So, Dr. Bruce Banner, aka The Incredible Hulk" Tony concluded, finishing the ceremony, "You are now officially indicted into the Alliance." Betty and Bruce kissed. "What, you couldn't save that part for the wedding," Tony said in mock disgust. Suddenly, they heard sirens outside. "Well, Banner," Tony began.

"I don't think I can this time." Bruce paused. "I need a break."

"Bruce, I should tell you that I gave weapons to General Ross so that he could spy on you about three years ago." Tony watched as Bruce transformed into the Hulk . "Works every time." He turned around to look at Peter. "Well, Peter…"

"My answer is still no." He paused. "There's no way that the infamous Tony Stark is serious about this…"

"Infamous, yes and serious, yes."

"Sorry, I'm still operating independently."

"Well, if you ever decide to merge, you know where to find me."

"Not likely." He paused. "So, a failed arson plot caused the Hulk to become good?"

"Yeah. Blonsky's little plan of trying to kill Betty in a burning building actually worked out…." He paused. "For us."

"This time," Peter added cautiously.

"Oh, stop worrying, Parker…"

"Well, Emil Blonsky is where he should be. Human again, chained, shackled and behind bars…"

"No, that's where _I should_ be."


	101. Change of Mind

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Change of Mind_

"Hey, Tony," Pepper said as she walked down the steps. "Remember, you have a conference call in twenty minutes…" She paused. "Tony, what are you…" He was in his Iron Man suit.

"So, Pepper, about that conference call…"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Tony…" She paused. "Are you insane?"

"No, not yet, but maybe one day…" He paused. "This is what I used to escape."

"And ever since then, you've been Iron Man, right?"

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Because this is insanity, Tony." She paused. "I'm not going to help you with this because you're only going to get yourself killed. Please consider this to be my two weeks' notice…" She started to leave.

"You were willing to stay with me, even when you knew that my weapons were murdering…"

"Tony, that's not the point," She interrupted. "I put up with every one of your schemes, even when I knew that they were going to fail. But this…" She shook her head. "I do not want to have your blood on my hands because if I encourage you with this…" She paused. "I know that you'll be killed." She left.

"You know, Peter," May said as she was walking into the room. "Dr. Connors made a good point the other day…"

"Good point?" He paused. "You were ready to slap him."

"I know I was… but he was trying to help…"

"That's your definition of help? Trying to set up two people who have no interest in each other and taking away their memories of the ones they really loved?"

"No… trying to give them a second chance at life."

"Yeah… MJ and I have nothing in common."

"Don't you ever wonder what it could've been like under different circumstances?"

"No… it still would've been the same." He paused. "Like I said before, we have nothing in common."

"That's funny."

"What's funny?"

"That's the same thing that she told me about you." May left.

Pepper walked over to the balcony that outside of her apartment. She felt bad about leaving the company so suddenly, but she couldn't stand by and watch while Tony destroyed himself. Suddenly, something pushed her off of the balcony. She screamed.

"May," Mary Jane said as she opened the door to her apartment. "This is a surprise."

"I'm here because I want to talk to you about what we talked about earlier."

"I haven't changed my mind." Mary Jane paused. "Peter and I…"

"Have nothing in common? I've heard that before…"

"I know," Mary Jane said impatiently. "I told you that."

"Peter also told me that."

"If Peter told you that, then you know that it must be true." Mary Jane started to close the door.

"When Robert and Adrian came into my life, I wasn't ready for a second chance. Nobody is." May paused. "However, both of them were a blessing to me in so many ways that if I hadn't taken that chance, I would've missed out on a lot." She paused. "I'm not asking either of you to forget about Gwen or Ben because I could never ask you to do that. However, I am asking both of you to take a second chance." She left.

Pepper cringed. She was inches away from the concrete. Suddenly, something stopped her. Pepper looked. "Okay, you've totally lost it." It was Tony.

"No, if I had totally lost it, I would've let you finish your fall." He paused. "I just wanted to show you why I was doing this…"

"By taking the chance that I might fall to my sudden death?"

"I had everything calculated ahead of time, so, that was never even a remote possibility."

"Okay, enough of the calculation nonsense, just tell me why in the world you're doing this."

"I figured that I did enough damage to this world, it's about time that I did some repair work." He pointed to his suit. "This suit, it saved hundreds of civilians from being injured by one of my weapons."

"I…" She paused. "I can't argue with that."

"No, you can't… for once." He paused. "All arguing aside, Yinsen was right. I needed to find a new legacy… one which didn't involve the mass manslaughter of mankind…" He paused. "So, are you willing to help me?"

"Tony…" She paused. "Yes… I'll help you."

"Good… because you know that I'd never be able to accomplish this without your help, right?"

"I definitely know that." She paused. "Why do you think that I'm helping you?"

"Mary Jane," Peter said as he opened the door. "Listen, I'm so sorry about Aunt May…"

"Peter," She interrupted him. "Don't apologize for her. Just listen to me first, okay?"

"Okay… I'm listening."

"Would Gwen want you living like this?"

"So, you're agreeing with her… that I should move on when I don't know how to move on?"

"I'm not agreeing with her." She paused. "Okay, take it from my perspective. Would Ben want me living like this?" She paused. "Peter, before Ben… I…"

"Forget about our very temporary feelings for each other for a moment, okay?" He paused. "Both of us made a commitment to somebody else."

"They would want us to be happy."

"We will be happy again…" He paused. "One day…"

"I should get going," Mary Jane said. She started to leave.

"Wait…" Peter paused. "You were right. We weren't taking this from the right perspective…"

"Okay…" She paused. "What perspective should we be taking this from?"

"If you died, would you want Ben to be happy even if you weren't here?"

"More than anything." She paused. "I know that you would want Gwen to be happy if you…"

"More than anything."

"Peter…" She paused. "This is going to be difficult…"

"I know it is."

"If we took this one day at a time…"

"Then, maybe…"

"Life will return to normal?"

"No…" He paused. "Life will never return back to normal."

"I know." She paused. "I really should be going…"

"Mary Jane?"

"Yes?" He kissed her.


	102. Last Minute Preparations

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Last Minute Preparations_

"You wanted to see me, General," Tony asked as he walked into Ross' office.

"Yes… and I'd prefer that you'd be a little more formal."

"Okay, Ross."

"I don't know why I expected anything remotely useful from you."

"Ouch. Pretty strong words from a guy who can't even make a cameo appearance at his daughter's wedding because he's fighting so much with the groom…"

"You were supposed to be keeping track of Banner so that I could go after him…"

"He has a first name, remember? Bruce…"

"He's a science experiment."

"You're a lousy general." Tony paused. "Trying to use him to cover up your own failures?"

"It's not that simple."

"No, it never is."

"Why are you protecting him?"

"Because I have a better plan for him than you do."

"Oh, I see," Ross said as he leaned back in his chair. "And, how exactly, is your plan better?"

"Well, I guess you could say that it's more 'incredible.'" Tony smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Hey, Betty," Mary Jane said as Betty opened the apartment door. "Where are you going?"

"I'm in a hurry," Betty quickly explained. "I thought I could do this, but I can't."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"I'm leaving Bruce." She paused. "I thought I could be there for him, but I can't. It's too stressful."

"You'll regret it if you leave."

"I'll regret it if I don't leave." She hugged her. "Thank you for everything." Suddenly, Betty passed out. Mary Jane noticed that Bruce was standing behind her.

"Please tell me why I just feel like I stepped into a soap opera?" She paused. "I like to leave my work at the office…"

"Relax," Bruce explained. "I just gave her a sedative." He paused. "I need your help."

"I'm listening…"

"Well, Betty has become really stressed out lately about the Hulk situation, so, I'm going to make her forget."

"Oh, that's a wise decision," she said sarcastically. "I sincerely hope that both of you don't fight during your marriage, because if you do and your alter ego becomes known, you are going to have a heck of a lot of explaining to do." She paused. "Also, what about the… uh…"

"Honeymoon? I'm working with Dr. Connors on that. We came up with solutions to…"

"Okay, _way_ too much information."

"You mentioned it."

"I know." She paused. "Curiosity killed the cat." She paused again. "Why do you want to do this?"

"My secret has caused Betty way too much stress. Also, I was afraid that she was…"

"Going to make a run for it?"

"Which, she did try to make a run for it, so…"

"How can I help?"

"Everything for the wedding is in place, so, that won't be a problem." He paused. "I'm going to take her to Secret Hospital, where Dr. Connors is going to…"

"Erase her memories of you as the Hulk?"

"Yes."

"You and Peter better hope that Dr. Connors never pulls a Benedict Arnold because once word about both of you becomes public…"

"That's not a problem, trust me." He paused. "I have a feeling that Dr. Connors has some skeletons in his closet."

Dr. Connors was studying specimens at Secret Hospital. As he rummaged across the specimens, he accidentally knocked one of the specimens down. As he picked up the LIZARD specimen, Bruce and Mary Jane walked in, with an unconscious Betty in toll. "So," Dr. Connors said as they walked in. "This is the bride with the cold feet…"

"For good reason…" Bruce paused. "I'm not entirely sure that I wouldn't have second thoughts about marrying somebody with my condition."

"Kind of a little late for that one, Bruce." He paused. "You're already married to your condition."

He slowly walked into the prison. He smiled as he approached the main security desk. "Visiting hours aren't over yet, are they?"

"No… you still have about two more hours…"

"Excellent… I'm here to see Emil Blonsky. I heard that he's gotten himself into some more trouble, lately."

"Yes, unfortunately for him, this time, it was with the law."

"What a shame." He paused. "He was such a great soldier in battle."

"Well, once the toxin is out of his body, he may be back on the field."

"That's a relief." He paused. "I do need to see him. It's rather urgent. I'm here on behalf of his legal representation…"

"He's in cell 2008."

"2008? You have that many cells?"

"No… that one is reserved for our strange and unusual cases."

"And, his is a strange and unusual case."

Peter was studying the specimen room at Secret Hospital. He happened to notice a crack on the glass case of the LIZARD specimen. "Hey, Dr. Connors," He said as he frowned. "Have you noticed this?"

"Oh, that was an accident."

"Well," Peter said as he put the specimen back, "I heard that I missed the party."

"You didn't miss that much. It was the usual case of the bride with cold feet."

"Well, I guess I should be going."

"Okay, I'll see you later." Peter left. Dr. Connors picked up the LIZARD specimen case. He dropped it on the ground, shattering its glass surroundings. Then, he picked up the specimen.

"Okay, the caterers are working on the first steps of the pesto chicken as we speak," Betty said as she hung up the call.

"Well, everything is running smoothly…" Bruce paused. "So far," he added jokingly.

"Oh, stop, it will go smoothly." They kissed.

"Well, I'll see you lovebirds later," Mary Jane said. She started to leave.

"You know, it's funny, this is the best I've felt in a while," Betty said. "It's like I was relieved of this great burden and now…" She paused as she looked at Bruce. "Now, I feel like for the first time in a while, I can celebrate."

"Well…" Mary Jane paused. "I'm going to be late for my audition…" She started to leave. Bruce followed her.

"Mary Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"No problem." She smiled.

"You know…" He paused as he walked into the cell. "For that riot that you caused at that one university and that one riot in Harlem, I'm surprised that simple chains can contain you…"

"Why are you here," Blonsky asked angrily.

"Your time in this cell has made you more hostile."

"If you were in this cell, wouldn't you…"

"I would also be more hostile." He paused. "I'm here because I feel sorry for you, Blonsky, you were a great soldier and I want you to be back out on the battle field…" He paused again. "However, I'm here because we have a common enemy…"

"Who?"

"Banner."

"Who are you?"

"You'll see." He lifted up his sleeve to reveal the letter 'W' on his arm.


	103. The Wedding Guests in Black and Green

**Chapter Fifteen**

_The Wedding Guests in Black and Green_

"Bruce? Are you ready yet?"

"Patience, Mary Jane, I'm coming." He walked towards her.

"You know, for your wedding day, you're incredibly calm."

"Well, I don't have much of a choice, now do I?"

"Good point." She smiled.

"Thank you."

"That's the fiftieth time you've thanked me."

"I know… it's just that you were very supportive and understanding…" He paused. "If Peter ever decided to erase your memory…"

"If he does that, I want you to kick him around the corner."

"Why?"

"Some people love secrets more than others do." She smiled at him before she left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"You know…" Betty paused as she looked at Bruce. "Most people get cold feet on their wedding day…"

"So, you're saying that…"

"I'm saying that since we both know everything about each other, there's no reason to have cold feet." She paused. "I love you, Bruce."

"I love you too, Betty." They kissed. Mary Jane noticed the relieved look on Bruce's face.

"I know we're running late," the caterer said into his phone as he loaded the van. "However, there was a marinade problem with the pesto chicken, so… Don't worry… we'll get there on time… Look, they aren't going to demand their money back…" He hung up.

Pepper was standing on the outside balcony when she heard a familiar voice. "Great wedding, wasn't it?" It was Tony.

"You, Mr. Commitment phobic?"

"Yeah… let's just say that I have a soft spot in my heart for Bruce and Betty…"

"Tell me why I have a difficult time believing that…"

"Believe it or not… there was a reason why I came here." He paused. "Do you want to dance?"

"Ummm…" Pepper paused as she thought for a second. "Okay."

"Bruce and Betty are made for each other, aren't they," Peter asked Mary Jane as they danced.

"Yes, they are…" She paused. "What's really on your mind, Peter?"

"Well…" He paused. "I guess that the marriage of Bruce and Betty made me realize that I didn't want to be completely alone forever…"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that… I love you… will you marry me?"

Mary Jane stopped. She looked at him like he had gone completely insane. "No! How could you even…" She walked away from him.

"So, I never guessed Tony Stark to be the wedding type…" Pepper paused.

"Well, you know I like to sample the food…" He paused. "Meet women…"

"Okay…" Pepper paused as she backed away from him. "That was unprofessional of me."

"Pepper…" He paused. "You're not just my employee."

"No, I'm only your employee, Tony." She paused. "Year after year, I cleaned up your messes, either financially or morally…" She paused again. "Now, everybody will see me here with you, and any chance I'll have of a real professional career will be gone." She left.

"Pepper," Tony called after her.

"Remember me, Tony?" Tony turned around.

"Uh, Chandra?"

"Christine." She paused. "Don't you remember… that one night…" She paused again. "However, that's not what I'm here for." She pulled pictures out of her suit pocket. "So, you say that you stopped distributing weapons, uh?"

"I don't…" Tony paused as he looked at the pictures. "Where is he," he asked angrily.

"He's in the lobby."

"Mary Jane," Betty said as she walked past them.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to thank you for coming here today."

"Hey… why in the world would I not come?"

"Well, it's just with Ben and everything…" She paused. "I wanted you to know that you're the best friend that I ever could've had." She paused again. "Also, if you need to talk, I'm here for you."

"I may be taking you up on that offer, but not today… not on your wedding day." She smiled at them before she left.

"Tony," Obadiah said. "I'm so glad that I could find you here, considering that lately, you've been hiding out in your cave and all…"

"What is your explanation for this," Tony asked angrily as he showed him the pictures.

"I promised your father that I would lead you down the right path if you ever tried to go down the wrong path…"

"I am going down the right path."

"No, you're not." He paused as he smiled at the cameras. "Look, Tony," he said between clenched teeth. "I'm saving the business from where you're taking it. Frankly, all of the stock holders would rather deal with me than with you now. I can't say that I blame them."

"This is…"

"This is the right thing to do." He paused. "You know, Tony, when you're back to your old self, give me a call." Obadiah smiled at a business associate before he left. Tony glared after him. However, something else caught Tony's eye…

"Now, today, we will capture him, even if…"

"Ross," Tony said as he walked over towards the general. "How nice of you to make a cameo appearance at your daughter's wedding! Hey, have you given my generous proposal another thought yet? C'mon, let's walk and talk." They left.

"You know," Bruce said to Betty while they danced, "Even though this is our wedding day, we've been hugged and congratulated by so many people, it's nice to have some time for just 'us.'"

"I know… I mean it's been fun with everybody else, but…" She paused. "I love you, Bruce."

"I love you, too, Betty." They kissed.

"Hey, Bruce," Peter called out. "The food is here… I guess."

"What do you mean 'you guess'?" He paused. "It's either here or it's not here…"

"No, it is here, but they just left it on the table…" He paused. "That's odd."

"Nothing's weird about it, Peter. Everybody was busy, so they just left it. They probably had other places to go today. C'mon, let's eat."

"Peter," Mary Jane said as they ate, "I'm sorry about how I reacted earlier… it's just that I wasn't ready…"

"Neither was I…" He paused. "I thought that I was ready to get married again, but I wasn't."

"No, it's just that someday, I'll wonder if we'll ever be ready…" She paused as she looked at Bruce and Betty. Suddenly, Bruce's hands slammed down on the table.

"Bruce, are you okay? Did you choke? Bruce, say something!"

"Betty… I…." His eyes started to turn green.

"What did I tell you, Stark," Ross stated.

"He's going to be okay, you'll see, General." However, even Tony wasn't sure this time. Bruce just seemed to be angrier than usual… Suddenly, Tony recognized a look in Bruce's eyes that he hadn't seen in a while: rage. "Everybody, evacuate right now," Tony yelled. However, it was too late, as the Hulk's hands smashed on the floor. As the floor rapidly tilted, tables and wedding guests started to fall through the huge windows on the south side of the room. Peter caught Mary Jane's arm as she was about to fall through the now-open window. Tony, as Iron Man, tried to hit the Hulk, resulting in the Hulk throwing him across the room. Pepper desperately tried to stay on the collapsing floor. As her hands gripped for a steady tile, she was shocked and horrified to discover that Betty was walking towards the Hulk.

"You…" Betty paused. "You killed Leonard…"

"Betty, don't! You don't know what you're doing," Mary Jane yelled.

"Betty, it's going to be okay," Pepper yelled. However, Betty just stood there. The Hulk looked at her with rage. Suddenly, he grabbed a speaker system from the wall.

"Betty," Pepper and Mary Jane yelled. However, it was too late as the Hulk threw the speaker system towards her, causing her to crash into a mirror.

"She's going to be okay, Ross," Tony said. "She's going to be okay…"

Pepper was in the waiting room of the hospital when Mary Jane walked in. "What did she say to you?"

"What?"

"At the wedding, what did she say to you? It's just that she was always my best friend and…" Pepper paused. "I'm just trying to think about anything else right now than…"

"She said…" Mary Jane paused. She thought about her own disappointment when she knew that she could never be Liz's best friend. "She said that you were always her best friend also, Pepper," Mary Jane lied.

"Is there any sign of him," Pepper asked cautiously.

"Bruce took off. We have no idea where he is."

"Why do you refer to him like that? He's not a human. He never was. He was always the Hulk, especially no. He just convinced us to buy into his human act."

"Pepper…" Mary Jane paused. Nothing that she could say could defend Bruce now and also, her own faith in Bruce was shaken…

"We…" Dr. Connors paused. "We did everything we could. She never regained consciousness. I'm so sorry…"

"We need to go after him," Pepper said as she wiped away tears from her eyes. "We have to go after him…"

"Pepper, it's too dangerous…"

"No, I'm not going to let my best friend's death go unpunished…" Pepper paused. "I'm going after him. If you're not going to join me, fine, but I'm going. She deserves that much." She left.


	104. Loss of Heroism

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Loss of Heroism_

Pepper walked through the trashed reception room. She stopped when she came across Betty's bouquet. "You need to get some sleep." She turned around. It was Mary Jane.

"No, thank you, Mary Jane, I don't need any sleep."

"Yes, you do." She paused. "You haven't slept since the wedding…"

"Mary Jane, when Liz died, did you just let her death ride while you focused on yourself?"

"No, I didn't." She paused. "But you need to focus on yourself if you're going to seek justice over Betty's death…" She paused again. "He thought that he could control it," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Pepper paused as Mary Jane was silent. "You knew that Bruce was the Hulk all of this time and you never told me?"

"I promised Bruce that…" She paused.

"Well, we saw how well that worked out, didn't we?" She started to leave. "I'm going to seek justice for Betty's death with or without your help…" She left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"This is one of the reasons why I was afraid of joining the team, actually." Peter paused as he looked at Tony.

"Not now, Parker," Tony said as he rubbed his hand over his forehead. "Not now."

"I'm sorry, Tony."

"I am, too." Tony walked over to Bruce's Alliance photo. "I thought that he could control it… I thought that it would never control him…" He threw the picture into the trash. "I was wrong."

"What if it wasn't his fault?"

"How could it not be his fault? He transformed into the Hulk at the wedding without anybody's help or assistance…"

"What if somebody made him…"

"He was in control of what he was doing, Peter. He knew! He could always recognize Betty… Betty was the only person who he could ever recognize once he was transformed!"

Pepper walked slowly through the garage of Stark Tower. She was trying to avoid being detected by security. Slowly, she walked over to one of the Iron Man prototypes.

"You're…" Peter paused. "You're right, Tony."

"Maybe I should just shut down the alliance…" Tony started to walk away from him.

"You cannot shut down the alliance…"

"Well, technically, Parker, I'm the only one who's still in it, so, you can't really even call it an alliance anymore."

"Well…" Peter paused. "Maybe, one day, you'll find some new members…" He smiled before he left.

"Tony," Mary Jane said as she walked into Stark Tower.

"Your boyfriend left already."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Peter… who else?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Try telling that to him."

"Listen, Tony…"

"On second thought, Peter and I aren't actually getting along today, so…"

"Well, Pepper and I am not exactly getting along."

"Pepper?"

"Yes… your girlfriend?"

"We're not dating."

"Oh, yeah, that's right… I forgot… Tony Stark… Mr. Noncommittal…"

"Well, you're not a liar…"

"Tony…" She paused. "Pepper's determined to seek justice for Betty's death…"

"I know that she is. I've been trying to locate the Hulk…"

"She doesn't think that you're doing a good enough job of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I think she intends on going after the Hulk herself…"

"Pepper would never do anything that…"

"Excuse me, sir?" It was Jarvis.

"Jarvis, yeah, I'm kind of busy right now…"

"I'm afraid it's an emergency, sir… There was a break in and something was stolen…"

"What?"

"I can't tell you in somebody else's presence…"

"I don't even want to know," Mary Jane groaned.

"Hold on, Jarvis," Tony said. "Mary Jane, there's something that you don't know about me…"

"Tony, if this is going into Everhart territory, I'm leaving."

"Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Uh, my mind?"

"Listen, Mary Jane, how much do you know about me?"

"I know that you're a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."

"That much, huh?" He paused. "Actually, I've heard that one before…"

"I'm sure you have."

"Well, you're about to find out something else." He paused. "I'm also Iron Man."

"Sir, one of the Iron Man prototypes was stolen…"

"You know, Jarvis, that was incredibly bad timing..." He paused. "Or, maybe, it was incredibly good timing…"

"If I ever become captured by a mind reader, you and Peter are going to be in serious trouble, you realize that, don't you?"

"Yeah, well, with your sordid superhero love backstory, it is a high possibility."

"Why would somebody steal one of the…" She paused. "Oh no, Pepper…"

"Come with me…" He paused. "I'll tell you the story of how I gained an alternate ego on the way…"

"Pity…" She paused. "You already have enough of an ego as it is."

Pepper, as her new alias Rescue, was looking for the Hulk. She started to hear some loud footsteps…

Tony knocked on Peter's door. "Listen, Peter, this isn't about our lovers' spat earlier. Pepper's in trouble."

"What can I do to help?"

"Do whatever a spider does."

"Okay," Tony said when they arrived at the location where Pepper was. "Here we are…"

"How do you know," Peter asked.

"Well, since most of us are not fortunate enough to have spider sense, I have built in GPS in each of the prototypes." He paused. "She's over there." Peter, Mary Jane and Tony raced over to the corner of a building. Pepper was barely breathing. "Hold on…" Tony paused. "You're going to be okay…"

"Tony…" Pepper paused. "The Hulk… threw me towards the building and…"

"You're going to be okay, just hold on."

"Tony…" She paused. "Thank you."

"Hey, I couldn't let my best secretary go," he said as he tried to hide his concern from Pepper.

Later…

"So," Pepper said in her recovery room in the hospital, "All of you came just to try to help me?"

"Well, like I said before," Tony said. "I couldn't let my best secretary go."

"Very funny, Tony…"

"You should be concerned about that building," he said sarcastically. "I mean, somebody may sue you for all of the damage that was caused by the impact…"

"Tony, that building was falling apart anyway…"

"Yeah, it was."

"You know, Tony," Peter said. "We make a good team."

"We make a good alliance, don't we?"

"Nice try, but not quite."


	105. Heroes in Crisis

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Heroes in Crisis_

"So," Pepper said to Tony, "I was cleaning out your files today…."

"Wait a second, you were going through my things," he said jokingly. "Who in the world gave you permission to do that?"

"I did." She paused. "Trust me, Tony, if I didn't, all of the organizational freaks would be ready to bring a torch to the place…"

"That bad, huh?"

"Worse." She paused. "Anyway, I discovered this file…" She showed him a file that had the name "SECRET IDENTITIES=GONE." "Could you explain to me what this is about?"

"It's this project that I've been working on…" He paused. "Peter and I should give up our alter egos."

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Are you insane?"

"Now, Pepper," Tony said. "Listen to me on this. If Peter and I fought crime as Peter Parker and Tony Stark instead of Iron Man and Spider-Man, the public would have actual people to rely on instead of people in Halloween costumes."

"Tony…" She paused. "You're putting yourself at risk. If your enemies know your identity…"

"Pepper… I run the same risk every time I fight one of my enemies. If somebody wants to kill me, the matter of wearing a mask or not is not going to stop them…"

"No, but…"

"Well, let's look at it this way… if somebody was coming to rescue you, would you trust them more if they were an actual human being who was being honest with you from the start or some maniac in a Halloween costume?"

"Let's get to work."

Mary Jane walked into May's house apprehensively. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did." May paused.

"Well…"

"Actually, it's about you and Peter…"

"Not again…" She started to walk towards the door.

"No, listen to me." She walked towards her. "I wasn't going to push the issue, but with Bruce and Betty's wedding…"

"What does Bruce and Betty's wedding have to do with any of this?"

"This is going to sound incredibly blunt, but I'm going to say it anyway." She paused. "If Peter died today, how would you feel?"

"Good luck," Pepper said to Tony as he was preparing for his press conference.

"This is the only time in my life that I feel like I definitely need the luck." Tony paused. "Well, here goes nothing." He walked towards the podium. "Welcome and as usual, thank you for coming." He paused. "I know that every time you come to one of my press conferences, you expect to leave with a heart attack… well, this time won't be any different." He paused as the audience laughed. "Most of you know me as the billionaire technology specialist and most of you know Peter Parker as the science obsessed geek… those of you who actually know Peter, anyway, which probably isn't many of you… However, Peter and I have one thing in common…" He paused. "Both of us want what's best for the public, which is why we've been living double lives…" He paused again. "What I'm trying to say is that Peter Parker is Spider-Man and I'm Iron Man."

"Aunt May, we've been through this before," Peter said with annoyance.

"Just hear me out on this, okay?"

"I wish I could, but Mary Jane and I have nothing in common."

"How about a desire to not be lonely again?"

"I'm okay living the rest of my life alone."

"No, you're not." She paused. "Peter, don't torture yourself like this. When Gwen died…"

"When Gwen died, any desire for companionship that I had died."

"No, it didn't." She paused. "Gwen wants you to be happy…"

"I…" He paused. "I can't…"

"Bruce and Betty's wedding has made me worried about you."

"Why in the world would their wedding do that?"

"If Mary Jane died like Betty died, would you be able to live with yourself?"

"Oh no…" Pepper paused as she looked at Stark Tower.

"What happened?"

"Let's just say that somebody decided to do some remodeling… in a bad way…" She paused. "Tony, this is what I was worried about!"

"Pepper, I can buy another building. It's no big deal. They destroyed the building, not me." Suddenly, gunshots flew through the air. Tony started to run. "Stay in the garage!"

"How in the world would the garage help," Pepper asked.

"The garage is bullet proof," he said as he ran.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to warn Peter!"

Peter and May walked back into the house. Mary Jane was staring at the TV in the living room. "What are you doing here," Peter asked. "Trying to get free TV?"

"No," Mary Jane said seriously. "Peter, there's a problem."

"What?"

"Peter…" She pointed to the TV.

"Heroes in crisis," the reporter began. "What started out as a seemingly good idea: get rid of the secret identity crisis has become a dangerous mix of chaos and confusion as the public is blaming Tony Stark and Peter Parker, once known as Iron Man and Spider-Man, respectively, for all of the casualties that have been caused by the many enemies of these men…"

"Peter…" Mary Jane began. Suddenly, there was an intense pounding on the door.

"We have the place completely surrounded!"

"Jarvis," Tony said as he raced to May's house. "Remember that timeline concept that we never activated?"

"Yes, as of now, it is inactive."

"Well, now would be a great time to activate it!"

Later…

"Now do you see why the secret identity idea was bad," Pepper asked Tony.

"Okay, I'll admit it… you were right… for once."

"For once? I'm always right."

"I know… unfortunately."

"Well, things are back to normal at least."

"No, they aren't." He paused. "Since you organized those files, I can't find a thing."

"And you could find something in those messy heaps, even if you did not alter time for the final time?"

"Hey, they were well-organized messy piles and I could find stuff." He paused. "Once in a while…"

"So," Mary Jane said to Peter, "That was close."

"That was too close." He paused. "I never gave Tony permission to do that."

"He never needed permission. He knows that you want what's best for the public, so…" She paused. "You're a great guy, Peter Parker."

"Thanks."

"Well, I guess I should be going…"

"I'll see you later…" He paused. "MJ?"

"Yes?"

"Aunt May's been talking to me…" He paused. "That one day that I told you that I was ready to move on, I wasn't ready."

"Neither was I."

"To be honest with you, I'm not quite sure that I'm ready now." He paused. "However, what I am sure of is that I don't want to waste my life away trying to figure out if I'm ready or not."

"Neither do I."

"So… do you want to give this a second chance?"

"More than anything." They kissed.


	106. Crisis Control

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Crisis Control_

"Well, thank you again for visiting," May told Mary Jane and Peter as they left her house.

"You mean, thank you for falling into my trap, right," Peter sarcastically said.

"Very funny, Peter," she said jokingly. "I love you." Then, she closed the door. She was getting ready to sit down in the recliner when the doorbell rang again. "They must've forgotten something," she said to herself as she headed back to the door. She opened the door. What she saw made her scream.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Pepper," Tony called through the monitor. "Do you have a minute?"

"Yes… why?"

"I need your help."

"I'm coming…" She paused. "However, I'm a little scared to…"

"Why?"

"Well, the last times that I came down, we went over your near death experience and I discovered that you have a double life… I'm scared to see what you're going to come up with next…"

"I tend to have that effect on people a lot."

"So," she said as she walked into the garage. "What is it this time?"

"It's Obadiah…"

"That's the first time that I ever heard you refer to Obadiah by his full name…"

"There's good reason…" He paused. "He's been shipping Stark Industry weapons…"

"What?" She paused. "What gives him the right to…"

"He always wanted to be the head honcho of the company. He always thought that once dad died that he would be the CEO…"

"However, the reigns got passed to you and…"

"Exactly."

"So, how can I help?"

"You're not going to help."

Peter and Mary Jane raced into the hospital. "We're looking for a May Toomes," Peter breathlessly explained.

"She's in intensive care, sir. Family only."

"We are family," he explained as they walked towards the intensive care unit. Suddenly, he spotted her. "Aunt May…"

"Peter, oh, Peter…"

"You're going to be okay… just hold on… now, what happened?"

"In all honesty, we're not quite sure, sir," one of the nurses explained.

"What do you mean 'you're not quite sir!?'"

"Well…"

"Those yellow sardonic eyes…" May fainted.

"Please, sir, we need both of you to leave now." The nurse ushered Peter and Mary Jane out of the room.

"What do you mean 'I'm not going to help?'"

"You heard me the first time."

"Tony…"

"Look, Pepper, I almost lost you once. I'm not going to take that chance again."

"What do you mean?"

"When you went to avenge Betty's death, you…"

"You take those same risks every day, Tony. Isn't it about time that somebody took those risks for you?" She paused. "Obadiah is not a killer, Tony."

"Not now, he isn't. But…"

"You honestly think that Obadiah would kill somebody?"

"I don't think it. I'm sure of it."

"Norman's back in town," Peter said to Mary Jane in the waiting room.

"He's trying to avenge Harry's death, isn't he?"

"He's definitely trying to avenge Harry's death." He paused. "Put yourself in his shoes. If your son died and Spider-Man was at the scene of his death and if you knew the identity of Spider-Man…"

"I can't lose you, Peter." She paused. "We've lost so much already. Gwen… Ben… Liz… Ned… Harry…"

"I'm not going anywhere," he said as he hugged her. However, he wasn't sure himself.

"Tony, I'm going to help you."

"No, Pepper, it's too dangerous."

"You trust yourself enough to take that kind of risk." She paused. "Trust me enough to allow me to take that kind of risk." She left.

The next day…

"I'm so grateful that you're doing better," Peter said to May as he and Mary Jane sat in May's hospital room.

"So am I, Peter, so am I." She paused. "Seriously, neither of you have to be here… I'm going to be okay… Besides, Adrian will be here shortly. He caught a flight as soon as he could." She paused again. "If only I could've gone with him to the wedding, but I had other obligations here."

"I'm sure you would've preferred the wedding to living in a hospital room," Peter joked.

"Definitely."

"Aunt May, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything."

"Did the goblin say anything while he was trying to…" He paused.

"He kept repeating something as he was trying to kill me and it still doesn't make any sense to me."

"What did he keep repeating?"

"He kept repeating, 'My son, my son…' as if he was grieving or something…" She paused. "It struck me as strange because I kept thinking how in the world could this monster that killed Gwen, that killed Ben and tried to kill many others, how in the world could this monster even have the potential of having a family life? Even more so, how could he have sympathy on the human condition?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to be a monster," Peter said to himself slowly. He couldn't believe it, but he was actually having sympathy for Norman Osborn again. "Maybe there was an accident…"

"Did anybody ever tell you that you should be a psychologist," May asked.

Pepper slowly walked towards Obadiah's office. It was his lunch break, so, he wouldn't be in there. Pepper unlocked the door using the spare key from Tony's garage. She walked over to his computer. She knew that he kept his computer on most of the time and luckily for her, today was no exception. She sat down and she started to go through his files. Suddenly, the TONY STARK file caught her attention.

Peter slowly walked out of May's hospital room. Mary Jane had already left about an hour ago. Adrian had arrived and he wanted to give them time to be alone. Adrian… The thought suddenly struck him that Adrian's road to becoming a villain was very similar to Norman Osborn's path. Both of them had to deal with unforgiving circumstances. If Adrian could be reformed, why couldn't Norman? Suddenly, his cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Unless you want to lose the second love of your life, I'd suggest that you'd hurry." It was Norman.

"Where is she," Peter sternly asked. He could hear Mary Jane screaming in the background.

"Where Gwen died." He hung up.


	107. Question of Humanity

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Question of Humanity _

Pepper opened up the TONY STARK file on Obadiah's computer. She saw several notes that dealt with Tony's disappearance. As she opened up one of the notes, she gasped. The note read, "We are planning on disposing of Tony Stark once his work is done for us. However, before we do this task for you, we are demanding more money than what was agreed upon because the task of taking the blame for your role in the murder, demands more money than what you agreed to. Please update the terms of the agreement shortly…"

"Hello, Pepper," Obadiah said as he walked into his office.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter, as Spider-man, raced towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Finally, he saw Norman, as the Green Goblin, and Mary Jane. Norman was getting ready to drop Mary Jane off of the bridge. "What do you think that this is going so solve," Peter demanded.

"What do I think that this is going to solve?" He paused. "It's going to solve everything. Every time that I give you a chance to redeem yourself, somebody else gets hurt. I always thought that you would change. You never did… So, now it's time to take matters into my own hands." He raised Mary Jane even higher. "Don't worry, this should just feel like déjà vu to you at the most."

"Obadiah," Pepper said uneasily.

"I go out for a lunch break," Obadiah began. "And I become surprised like this?"

"Well," Pepper said hurriedly. "Tony wanted me to get the _Car and Driver_ magazine from your office for him." She paused. "You know Tony," she said uneasily. "He always wants errands to be run for him…"

"Of course he does." Obadiah sat down on his desk. "I don't know what Tony would do without you, Pepper. He always told me that he didn't know what he would do if you ever let him…" He smiled. "I always told him that he didn't deserve you, a fact which he agreed completely with me on."

"Look," Peter said desperately. "Harry's death wasn't her fault. Now let her go!"

"Harry…" He paused.

"Your son… you were a great father, once! Do you not remember?"

"I remember… you took that away from me…"

"You took that away from yourself."

"You're right… Harry's death wasn't her fault…" He paused. "It was your fault."

"Then, punish me!"

"Don't," Mary Jane yelled.

"I'm going to punish you by punishing her," he said. "Besides, why should I care about Harry's demise?"

"Because you're his father," Peter began. "I know the truth," he said desperately.

"Don't do this," Mary Jane yelled at Peter.

"Don't worry," Norman told her. "I already know the truth about both of you." He looked at him. "Peter Parker, who I always considered to be my surrogate son. I was wrong. My surrogate son would never act like this."

"You know," Obadiah began. "I, along with everybody else, was shocked that you stayed at Stark Industries as long as you did…"

"Resume booster," Pepper said uneasily.

"Surely no resume booster," Obadiah began. "Nothing could be worth all of the trouble that Tony put you through…" He paused. "Cleaning up after those various women, trying to cover for his wrong publicity stunts at press conferences, denying rumors in tabloid magazines and having everybody ask you, 'Why don't you just quit?'"

"Well, it's dedication to the company."

"No, it's dedication to the boss." He paused. "When Tony came back, I didn't expect him to be his old self for a while. However, I always expected that he would bounce back." He paused. "He hasn't," he said sternly.

"No amount of costumes or masks could keep us a secret from each other forever, Parker," Norman said.

"Your friendship with Warren," Peter said. "I know that both of you formed an alliance, but listen to me. It is a deadly alliance, one which will only lead to more casualties."

"You deserve those casualties."

"Forget about me," Peter said. "Warren killed Harry to turn you against me… Harry was trying to protect…"

"Why do you expect me to believe this? Warren and I know what it's like to go through an unimaginable grief… one which…"

"One which I've experienced myself." Peter paused. "I've gone through the same grief that both of you went through and I know what you're going through. You want justice, you want revenge. However, the second casualty that you want isn't going to solve anything, it's just going to lead to more and more grief until the grief overtakes you."

"Ben Reilly didn't have to die," Norman said. "He died because he wanted to continue your legacy. I had to protect somebody else from becoming what you are today." He paused as he looked at Mary Jane. "She would be happier if I just let her be with him instead of letting her put up with a monster like you." He paused. "You took my son."

"I was trying to help him."

"How? By taking him away from me?"

"Harry was dealing with a problem that you never could've helped him with." He paused. "He needed professional help, which he received. He was even given the opportunity to fall in love and get married." He paused. "Harry did go after me, but the only reason was because of a terrible and unavoidable tragedy that I couldn't prevent. When he realized that avenging Anne's death would only create an unstable life for himself and his son, he resolved to live a better life."

"His son?"

"Yes, he had a son." Peter paused. "His name was Norman."

"He never came to see me," Norman said slowly. "Why?"

"He didn't like what you had become."

"Harry…" He paused. "Parker, if you were trying to save her life…" He dropped her.

"So," Pepper paused. "You're telling me that I should leave Stark Industries?"

"I'm suggesting that you jump ship before you drown." He paused. "I don't want to see your career ruined. Not after all of your accomplishments…"

"I'm proud of Tony," Pepper said. "For the first time in his life, he's finally doing the right thing."

"Is he?" He paused. "It's just that you're so valuable to him, Pepper that I'd hate to see him lose you."

"Well," Pepper said awkwardly. "I should be giving Tony the magazine… I'm sure he's ready to send out the search party by now…" She started to leave.

"Actually," Obadiah began. "I want to read it first," he said as he took the magazine away from her. "We can always get another one, right?"

"Of course." She left.

Peter raced after Mary Jane. He swung a web towards the bridge. As the web stuck, he caught her. "Peter," Mary Jane began. "I've thought about it and I will marry you."

"What made you change your mind?"

"May's right. I don't want to lose you." She paused. "Gwen and Ben would want us to be happy…" She paused. "I just have one request."

"What is that?"

"I want to get married immediately. I don't want to give them enough time to plan anything like they planned for Bruce and Betty's wedding…"

"Everything's going to be okay for our wedding." Peter paused. "I promise you that everything will be okay." They kissed. However, both of them were still unsure…

"Miss Potts," he said to Pepper as she walked down the stairs.

"Guilty," she said uneasily.

"I'm Agent Phil Coulson from the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate."

"You should probably find an acronym for that."

"Actually, we've considered calling it SHIELD."

"That sounds better."

"We thought so, too." He paused. "Actually, I need to talk to Tony about his alliance project."

"Well, Tony is extremely busy…"

"It's important. Please tell him to call me ASAP." He left. Obadiah glared after them.


	108. (No) Regrets

**Chapter Twenty**

_(No) Regrets_

"I'm here," Mary Jane announced as she walked into May's house.

"Okay," May said. She looked at Peter and Mary Jane. "Both of you have chosen an enormous task for me to do in this small period of time, you realize that, right?"

"It could be worse," Mary Jane said.

"You're right, it could be worse," May said. "Seriously, I would do anything for both of you…" She paused as she looked at Peter. "Peter? Peter?" There was no response.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Peter," May said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Peter said as he started to get up.

"Where are you going?"

"I have some errands to run." Peter paused. "Actually, Spider-man has some errands to run." He left.

"What was that all about," May asked Mary Jane.

"I don't know." Both of them looked concerned.

Peter, as Spider-man, was carrying flowers to George Stacy's grave. George's grave was already adorned with flowers from the public, but Peter had other things on his mind. "George," he said as he set the flowers near the gravesite, "I came here to apologize." He paused. "I know that I broke my promise to protect Gwen and I'm…" He paused. "I'm so terribly sorry…" He paused again. "However, the worst part is that even though I apologized today, I have the worst feeling that I'm going to break that promise again…"

"So," May said. "For the limited amount of time that we had, we managed to arrange the wedding very quickly…"

"Yes…" Mary Jane paused. "Yes, we did."

"Is something on your mind, Mary Jane?"

"It's…" Mary Jane paused. "It's nothing."

Peter, as Spider-man, swung through the city until the Brooklyn Bridge came into view. "Gwen, I'm sorry for everything… I'm sorry that I never had the courage to tell you my secret… I'm sorry for not saving George…" He paused. "I couldn't even save you, the person who I wanted to save the most… and…" He paused. "I feel like I'm betraying you by preparing to marry Mary Jane…"

"Everything's ready for the wedding dress," May asked. There was no response. "Mary Jane?"

"Huh?"

"Wedding dress?"

"Yes, everything is ready. One of my stage designers made this wonderful mermaid-style dress and…" She paused. "I'm sorry, Aunt May, I can't do this. Not today." She left.

"Harry," Peter said as he looked at the Brooklyn Bridge. "You were always one of my closest friends and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save you…" He paused. "I'm also sorry that I couldn't stop Norman from becoming what he is today. Both of you were brilliant, hardworking, dedicated and devoted men and both of you deserved better than to have your life be messed up by some science experiment…"

"Ben," Mary Jane said as she looked at the Brooklyn Bridge from a distance. "You were always there, ready to save others…" She paused. "However, when you needed help the most, no matter how much I tried, I could never save you." She paused again. "And, now, I feel like I'm letting you down again…"

Peter walked into Secret Hospital. "Is there anything that I can help you out with, Peter," Dr. Connors asked.

"No, not today," Peter responded. He walked into the room where Liz was murdered. "Liz, you were always my best friend. You had to deal with more than any best friend should ever have to deal with…" He paused. "I know that my secret caused a lot of stress for you and I'm sorry about that…" He paused again. "I wanted to make your wedding and the rest of your life perfect, so, I took away your knowledge of my secret." He paused again. "You saved me more times than I could ever save you, and when you needed the most…" He paused. "I couldn't be there for you because I was focusing on my own selfish desires…"

"Liz," Mary Jane began as she looked at the grave marker, "You were always there for me and you helped me through a lot. You saw right through my mask that I insisted on wearing, and you insisted that I take it off." She paused. "Nobody, before you, was ever able to help me like that." She paused again. "I tried to be that person for you, but I had a big role to fill. Gwen was great at helping you through many situations, and even though I tried, I knew that I could never be that person for you…" She paused again. "I know that you thought that Peter and I could've ended up, together, but it's not possible. Not after everything we went through." She paused again. "I'm sorry that I let you down." She left.

"Ned," Peter said as he was in the hospital room, "You were always a better man than I ever could've been. You didn't need a mask and a costume to fight off evil forces, all you needed to do was to be yourself." He paused. "You were always one of my closest friends, and I'm sorry that one of my failures led to your downfall." He paused again. "Nobody deserves that… nobody…"

"Ned was great, wasn't he?" Peter jumped a little. "I thought that I could find you here." It was Mary Jane.

"I'm just…" Peter paused.

"You're just apologizing for everything that you did wrong to the people who never deserved it?"

"Something like that."

"I know because I'm doing the same thing." She paused. "Peter, I've been thinking about our wedding and I'm not sure that it is the best idea…"

"What do you mean," he asked.

"Neither of us is ready…" She paused. "Let's face it… Nothing is ever going to make us think that we're not betraying Gwen and Ben in some way…"

"I thought that myself," he said. "However, I realized something. You were right all along. They would want us to be happy…"

"Are you sure that this is the right thing, though?"

"Life is full of risks, isn't it? Sometimes, you take the risk, and it turns out to be a bad risk." He paused. "However, sometimes, the risk results in something good…"

"Yeah, but, how will we know?"

"We won't…" He paused. "Not unless we're brave enough to take the risk."

"Okay…"

"We're back," Peter announced as he and Mary Jane walked into May's house.

"And," May said cautiously.

"Now, on the place settings," Peter began.

Obadiah walked slowly through the war site. "Your demand for more money will not be followed," Obadiah began. "We had an agreement."

"Yes, we did." Their leader paused. "However, for this kind of task, the agreement has to be amended."

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Everything is better if you just do it yourself?'"

"Yes…" The leader paused. "Why," he asked cautiously.

"I'm running out of time." Obadiah paused. "Tony's assistant has found out my secret…" He paused. "I plan on disposing of her as soon as possible, but every second I wait, Tony Stark gets closer to being where he doesn't belong…"

"So, you're saying that?"

"I'm saying that you should never underestimate your enemy," Obadiah said as he forced a sedative into the leader's neck.

"But… this is just a sedative…"

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" Obadiah paused as he collected the weapons. "You know, you're looking kind of pale? You may want to have a doctor check that out for you."

"What did you put in this thing," the leader gasped. He took his last breath.

"You don't want to know." Obadiah left.


	109. Reality Abyss

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_Reality Abyss_

Peter slowly walked into a room. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, so, he didn't want to create a scene. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Peter?"

"Mary Jane?"

"What are you doing here? Don't you know that it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Mary Jane," he said slowly. "This isn't our wedding day…"

"Of course, it is…" She paused. "Listen, Peter, we've been planning on this for months…"

"We have?"

"Where have you been, Peter?" She looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"No, I mean, uh, sure, great, we're getting married." He took a deep breath. "I'm ready for this."

"That's great," she said. "Well, it's time to start the wedding…"

"Already?"

"Hi, Peter," somebody said as Peter and Mary Jane walked into the church. Peter turned towards the piano.

"Otto?"

"That's right…" He paused. "You didn't know that I was into classical music, did you?"

"No… I… I…"

"Hey, about our last fight, how about a little rematch?"

"Not now, Otto," Mary Jane said as she nudged Peter back towards the aisle. "Isn't he great," Mary Jane said. "He has plenty of arms to play the piano with…"

"Mary Jane," Peter began. "He's dangerous. We have to evacuate the…"

"Peter, can I see you for a minute," somebody said as they pulled Peter over to the side. "Peter, you made a promise to me…"

"George, I…"

"I wanted to tell you that I understand, Peter that sometimes you have to break promises." He paused. "I wish you the best, Peter."

"George, no, please, don't go! Not like this!"

"So, Peter," Mary Jane said as they reunited. "How do you feel about Otto playing the piano now?"

"Great," Peter said weakly. Suddenly, they heard some screaming. "Otto, what was that?"

"It was George." He paused. "Blood stains on a piano are great at a wedding, don't you think?"

"Oh, absolutely." Mary Jane beamed.

"Mary Jane, what happened to you," Peter asked. "Don't you see what's happening?"

"Well, the bride and groom…"

"Mayor, I'm so sorry… I did everything that I could to save her…"

"Peter, you're never getting the key to the city. You have no idea what losing a daughter is like."

"Yeah, but he knows what losing a wife is like…" Peter turned around. "Gwen?"

"I'm here to give you the rings," Gwen said as she handed the rings to Mary Jane. "I'm also here to tell you goodbye, Peter."

"Goodbye? No, not…"

"Well, it's clear that you made your choice," she said as she looked at Mary Jane. "Goodbye forever, Peter." She started to walk away.

"What a nice girl," Mary Jane said.

"No, Gwen… Gwen!" Suddenly, they heard more screaming. Norman looked at them. "You didn't think that I would miss my own surrogate's son wedding, do you? Besides," he said as he held Gwen's dead body, "Who doesn't like a good reenactment?"

"Mary Jane, we have to get out of here," Peter yelled.

"And miss all of the fun," somebody asked. Peter turned around. "Liz?"

"That's right, P-squared."

"You haven't called me that in a while…"

"Haven't I," Liz laughed. She was walking arm-in-arm with Ned and John. "Oh, Peter, don't you love them?"

"Ned…" Peter paused. "Ned, I'm not sure what's going on here, but you need to get yourself and Liz to safety. John is dangerous…"

"I know… if I leave Liz alone with him for one second, I always feel like Liz will be asking me for a divorce…"

"Oh, stop it, Ned," Liz said. "I would never ask either of you for a divorce."

"Why are you sure," Ned asked cautiously.

"Definitely."

"Uh, Liz…" Peter started to notice that John's eyes were starting to change. "Liz, run!"

"What are you talking about, Peter?" Suddenly, John ripped through the inside of her body.

"Ned… I love you," she said weakly before she took her last breath. Ned lunged towards John. Within three seconds, both of them were dead on the floor.

"Weddings," the janitor sighed. "They're always so messy." He started to scrub the blood stains.

"Mary Jane," Peter said. "We're getting out of here." He grabbed her by the arm and they started to run for the door. Suddenly, something closed the door in front of them.

"Harry," Mary Jane said. "I'm so glad that you could come here."

"I wish that the sentiments were the same for both parties," Harry said. "I'm here for revenge against him," Harry said as he pushed Peter against the wall.

"Don't Harry," Mary Jane said.

"You're right, he's family." Suddenly, Harry winced in pain.

"You know," Warren said as he removed a knife from Harry's back, "This thing will cut the cake in no time…"

"Yes, it will," Bruce said as he walked towards them with Betty.

"Bruce?"

"That's right, Peter," Bruce said. Suddenly, his facial expression changed.

"Everybody, run!" However, Peter's warning came too late, as Betty suffered the same fate that she had suffered at the wedding and the Hulk ran off into the distance.

"Incredible," Tony said as he walked towards them.

"Tony," Pepper said. "We're sorry that we're late," she apologized to Peter and Mary Jane.

"Pepper, surely you must see that this is crazy…" Peter paused. "Don't you?"

"It is… you guys seriously need better time management skills. Look at the time!"

"They have time to have best wishes," May said as she walked towards them with Uncle Ben.

"Peter, why did you take a break being Spider-man," Ben asked.

"Well, with Gwen's death…"

"I always thought that I raised you better than that… Putting selfish desires over great responsibility…"

"I don't believe this," Peter said. "Nobody understands me."

"I do," Mary Jane said. "C'mon, we're going to be late…"

"I'm here to give away the bride," Ben announced.

"Ben," Mary Jane said slowly. "I can't believe that you're here…"

"Neither can I…" He paused. "Mary Jane, don't do this!"

"I made a promise to Peter and Aunt May…" She paused as her eyes started to water. "I have to keep it…"

"Parker, why didn't you stop my son from becoming a maniac?"

"Mr. Jameson, I'm sorry… it wasn't my fault…"

"Yes, it was and you're going to pay…"

"By a salary dock," Sally asked. She walked towards them with Jason. "We wanted to continue your legacy, Peter, but… you see how well that turned out." Suddenly, both of them fell to the ground.

"You honestly don't want to know what is in these sedatives," Obadiah said. "Now, can we move on with the wedding?"

"Not until we settle this once and for all," Tony announced. He walked towards him.

"Tony," Pepper screamed as she raced towards them.

"Ben," Mary Jane screamed. She raced over towards him.

"It's not fair to lose your first husband on your second wedding day, is it," Norman asked.

"Uhhh…" Mary Jane groaned. She fell towards the ground.

"I found one of Obadiah's sedatives," Warren announced. He looked at Norman. "You have to strike while the iron is hot…"

Peter looked around. Obadiah had killed Tony and Pepper. Mary Jane was lying lifeless on the floor. And now… Otto, Norman, Warren and Obadiah were walking towards him. There was no escape…

Peter's heart raced as he sat up from his nightmare. He looked over at the time. 2:20 A.M. As Peter tried to control his breathing, he realized that his worrying over the upcoming wedding had gone to a completely different level. It was now starting to take over his life…


	110. Cold Feet

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Cold Feet_

Pepper paced back and forth in front of the church. "Will you relax," Tony said with slight annoyance.

"I wish I could…" She paused. "However, both of them were having second thoughts and both of them are late…"

"They'll be here, don't worry…" Tony said even though he wasn't sure that they would come. "We're going to make this the best second wedding for a widow and a widower that ever happened…"

"Probably the only wedding like that that ever happened…"

"Well, at least we won't have to be worried about the competition." He paused. "It looks like Peter had somewhere important to be…"

"I'm sorry that I'm late," Peter said as he tried to race up the stairs and adjust his shoes at the same time.

"Take a break, Parker," Tony said. "If you break something, I'm not wheeling you out of here."

"How considerate, Tony," Peter said sarcastically. "Where's Mary Jane…"

"She's…" Pepper paused.

"I'm sorry that I'm late," Mary Jane said as she raced up the stairs. "There was a problem with the limousine's gas and…"

"Will both of you stop running up the stairs," Tony demanded sarcastically. "Neither of you have the last name of Balboa and I am not going to call the emergency room on your wedding day." He paused. "Come on, thanks to both of you, all of the wedding guests are probably asleep by now." He smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Peter and Mary Jane looked around nervously. They weren't sure that they were ready to commit to somebody else again and they weren't sure that they were making the best decision… However, they were determined to try to make the best of it for the sake of the other person. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Pepper breathed a sigh of relief. Tony smiled.

"Well," Tony said. "Let's get this reception started…"

"I am so proud of both of you," May said to Mary Jane and Peter at their reception.

"So am I," Adrian said. "Both of you took a huge risk…" He looked at May. "However, some risks are definitely worth taking…" He smiled at May. Then, they left. Mary Jane looked at Peter.

"Adrian's right," she said. They watched as Adrian and May danced together. "Nobody thought that they were the perfect couple… look at them now…"

"I should've given Adrian more of a chance from the beginning," Peter said. "I was just afraid for her…"

"It's understandable." Mary Jane paused. "She's all you have left…"

"Not anymore," Peter said as he looked at Mary Jane. "They kissed."

"Peter is almost your stereotypical superhero archetype," Tony said to Pepper.

"What do you mean?"

"He was this little known teenager when he suddenly becomes this major household name." Tony paused. "He also has had his share of love interests…"

"Well, you aren't the archetype superhero then," Pepper said. "You were a household name before you became a hero…"

"Yeah, back then, I was more famous for my antiheroic actions…"

"Tell me about it…" She paused. "However, you did have your fair share of love interests…"

"Not serious ones, though…"

"I know… all of those girls that I ended up cleaning after were not Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson."

"No, they weren't…" Tony paused. "Maybe it's time for a serious love interest…"

"You… seriously?"

"Pepper, do you remember Bruce and Betty's wedding?"

"It would be kind of hard to forget…"

"I'm not talking about the Hulk's rampage." He paused. "Before the rampage, you and I were…"

"You and I had been dancing until I came to my senses." She paused. "Or, until you left me to be with Christine Everhart…"

"It wasn't like that…"

"It wasn't?"

"No… it was business."

"Funny." She paused. "I've heard that from you before when it was anything but business." She left. Tony walked over to Peter.

"I never thought that I would say this, Parker, but you seem to be having better luck with women than I am." He walked away from him.

"That was random," Peter said to Mary Jane.

"To say the least," she agreed.

"Pepper," Phil said through Pepper's headset. "You need to come to Stark Industries immediately…"

"I can't leave now, Phil."

"There's been an emergency." He paused. 'It involves Obadiah…"

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Pepper said. She walked towards the door. May was trying to open up the door while holding a container full of ice cream slices.

"Oh, thank you, Pepper," May said as Pepper held the door open. "I hate to ask for assistance, but would you terribly mind helping me with delivering these?"

"I wish I could, but I can't." Pepper paused. "I have to leave. It's urgent…"

"I hope everything is okay."

"I hope it is." Pepper left. May went outside.

"Where's May," Adrian asked Peter and Mary Jane.

"Well, she was working on delivering the ice cream slices because the driver had an emergency, but I haven't seen her for a while."

"I better go check on her." Adrian left. Suddenly, the power went out.

"The power circuit always chooses to act up at the most inconvenient times," Peter said.

"Peter," Adrian yelled. "I need your help! It's May…"

"What happened?"

"She was shot, Peter." He paused as his eyes started to water.

"She's going to be okay," Peter said, even though he wasn't sure himself. Suddenly, the roof started to crack. All of the wedding guests screamed.

"Peter, what's going on," Mary Jane asked.

"Where's Tony," Peter said as he looked around. However, there was no sight of Tony. "Everyone, stay calm, it's going to be okay…" The roof started to cave in. As Peter looked up, a section of the roof fell towards his head.

"Peter," Mary Jane yelled as he collapsed. "You're going to be okay… I'm going to get you some help…" Suddenly, her eyes turned silver and she smiled. She picked him up and she carried him out of the reception room.

"Jarvis, can you find any new information," Tony asked as he paced across his living room.

"I can't find any new information, sir. Did you find any new information?"

"No." Tony paused. "One great aunt in intensive care, a room full of dead wedding guests, the mysterious disappearance of the bride and groom and one business associate who has definitely gone off of the deep end… this has been an interesting day to say the least." Suddenly, his phone rang. Tony was relieved to see that it was Pepper. As he pressed ANSWER, something sedated him.

"You know," Obadiah said to Tony, "You never realize what you did have until it's gone. It's a shame that you didn't appreciate her enough while she was still alive." Obadiah left. Tony collapsed as the sedative took effect.

"Let me go first," Pepper said to Phil as they were preparing to enter STARK INDUSTRIES.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I've known Obadiah longer than you have…"

"Do you think that you can change his mind?"

"It's worth a shot," she said desperately. "I have to protect Tony…" However, as soon as she walked into STARK INDUSTRIES, she screamed at what she saw.

"Tony," James said as he rushed to him. "Tony?" There was no response…

Mary Jane carried Peter into a room. As she set his unconscious body on a table, she smiled at him.


	111. Halfway Point

**Chapter One**

_Halfway Point_

"Pepper… Pepper, what is it," Phil asked as he ran towards her.

"Phil…" Pepper paused. Obadiah was walking towards her in the gigantic Iron Monger costume. "Run," she yelled as she tried to race for the exit. However, Obadiah blocked the exit.

Peter slowly woke up from the sedative. "You didn't think that this was going to be your honeymoon, did you?" Mary Jane walked towards him. Her gloves were ripped and a huge blood stain was on her dress.

"Mary Jane," he asked.

"Guess again, tiger," she said as her silver eyes gleamed. She smiled at him.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Pepper…" Tony's voice came through Pepper's headset as she ran.

"Tony… are you okay?"

"I was wondering the same thing about you…"

"It's Obadiah…"

"I know..." He paused. "If Rhodey hadn't shown up at the right time, Obadiah would've sent me six feet under…"

"You're sure that you're going to be okay?"

"I'm sure, Pepper."

"Where are you, anyway?"

"I'm here." He paused. "I'm outside of the building."

"Warren," Peter asked slowly.

"That's right, tiger…"

"Leave her alone!"

"I wish I could, but I want to give you my blessing first…" She paused. "A marriage that is based on two people who have loved and lost isn't likely to succeed, so, you're going to need every blessing that you can get. It's such a shame that both of you had to disappoint your first loves…"

"Don't," Peter said as he pushed her.

"You know, Peter," she said as she walked towards him. "You're not hurting me… you're hurting her… you already have one relative in the hospital who's in danger of slipping away…"

"May," Peter said. "Adrian did this, didn't he?"

"No… it wasn't her felon husband… this time…" She smiled. "Such a shame… she was just delivering ice cream when I pointed the gun in her direction…"

"What do you want?" Peter paused. "What in the world do you want? Haven't you already taken enough away from me?"

"No… not quite. Not yet."

"What do you want?"

"Revenge." She paused. "Revenge has always been my motive. One day, you're going to become so desperate that you won't know how you could even go on… and on that day, my revenge will be complete."

"Haven't you taken enough away from me already? You already got revenge! What did I do to you?"

"It's not what you did." She paused as she walked away from him. "It's what you didn't do."

"Pepper," Tony said. "Listen to me. I want you to lead him to the roof…"

"Why?"

"I'm going to distract him. In the meantime, you'll do an emergency demolition of the building…"

"Tony…" She paused. "If I do this demolition, you'll die…"

"It's a risk that we have to take. I'm not going to let Obadiah do any damage…"

"Tony…" She paused. "I can't lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What didn't I do," Peter said to Mary Jane.

"It's personal," she said quietly. "Anyway, you'll have other things to think about…"

"What do you mean?"

"You have a difficult decision to make." She paused. "Do you want to live happily with my unfortunate host forever or do you want your beloved elderly aunt to live?"

Pepper raced towards the second exit. Suddenly, she stopped by the control panel. Obadiah ran through the exit. Pepper looked at the EMERGENCY lever. Then, she looked at the roof with worry.

"Nobody should be forced to make that kind of decision!"

"I know… but it's what you deserve for what you did to me."

"Warren, everybody is presumed to be guilty until proven otherwise. You haven't even given me a chance to defend myself!"

"That's because you would never be able to defend what you did."

"What did I do?"

"You'll figure it out when you're desperate enough." He paused. "So, which one will it be, Peter?" He paused again. "You did promise Mary Jane that you'd stay with her until death. Not only that, but don't both of you deserve a second chance at love, after everything that you went through? Both of you had to go through terrible tragedies and Gwen and Ben would want you to be happy…"

"You're right," Peter said weakly.

"However, on the other hand, you wouldn't be able to save Aunt May… the person who took you in after your parents were murdered, the one who has been completely supportive of your double life and the one who suffered because of your inability to save Ben Parker…"

"Stop," Peter yelled as he lunged towards her.

"Now…" She paused. "Now, I'm starting to get my revenge…" She smiled.

"Tony," Obadiah said as he walked onto the roof. Tony, as Iron Man, walked towards him. "What a shame that you won't be alive to see your greatest accomplishment do what it's supposed to do…"

"By that, you mean killing several thousands of people?" Tony paused. "That's doing what you're supposed to do?"

"You used to agree with me, Tony."

"I was wrong."

"No, you were right." He paused. "Which is why I must save you… and Pepper… from what you've become today…" He walked towards him.

"Now, Pepper," Tony said.

"You'll die," she protested.

"Pull the lever!" Pepper cringed as she pulled the lever. Sparks started to fly from the roof. She quickly ran out of STARK INDUSTRIES.

"I can't make this decision, Warren," Peter said slowly as he tried to calm down.

"I know that you can't make this decision."

"No, what I meant is, I can't make it without my wife."

"Very well," she said. "I'll leave my unfortunate host." She closed her eyes before she collapsed.

"Mary Jane," Peter said. "Mary Jane?" There was no response.

"I can't believe that I let you talk me into this," Pepper said to Tony.

"I was hungry," he said.

"We don't have time to eat," Pepper said. "Mary Jane and Peter need our help!"

"They'll be okay," Tony said. "They're strong willed. And, we will help them…" He paused. "After we eat. C'mon, we have to keep our strength up…"

"I guess you're right," Pepper said.

"Well, the official line is that Obadiah died in a fire... no element of arson was found and we are rebuilding STARK INDUSTRIES as soon as we can…" He paused. "With a new CEO…"

"What are you talking about," Pepper asked.

"This…" Tony wrote something on the napkin. He showed the napkin to her. _Pepper, will you be the new CEO of STARK INDUSTRIES?_

"Tony…" She paused.

"Pepper, you've been my long suffering secretary for far too long… Everybody was right… I took you for granted and I shouldn't have…" He paused. "Besides, your management skills are outstanding. This company needs somebody as brilliant as Howard running it, for once." He paused. "Well…"

Pepper looked at him. Then, she wrote something on the napkin and she showed it to him. _Yes._


	112. Deadly Motives

**Chapter Two**

_Deadly Motives_

Ivan Vanko was stunned. His father was never supposed to die, not like that. Ivan angrily looked at a magazine that had Obadiah Stane and Tony Stark on the cover. Obadiah had killed Ivan's father a week ago, using STARK INDUSTRY weapons. Since then, Obadiah's demise had done little for Ivan's desire for revenge. Somebody else had to pay as well for his father's demise: Tony Stark.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Mary Jane? Mary Jane?" Peter started to panic. She wasn't waking up.

"She can't hear you." Peter turned around to see Warren walking towards him.

"What did you do to her," Peter demanded angrily.

"Oh, don't worry… she's not dead… yet," Warren said as he brandished a knife. "She's just in a sleep-like state. I needed something to get you to listen to me… for once. I thought that if there was more at stake, you might be more willing to cooperate."

Pepper glared at Tony. "This is a complete waste of time… we should be looking for Mary Jane and Peter instead of interviewing whatever nitwit candidate that you're thinking of hiring…"

"Okay…" Tony paused. "First, her name is Natalie Rushman and she's not a nitwit."

"By your standards or my standards?"

"By your standards." Tony paused. "Pepper, we have no idea where Peter and Mary Jane are. They'll find their way back to us…"

"And if they don't," Pepper asked.

"Sir, Miss Rushman is here," Jarvis announced. Pepper and Tony looked at each other.

"Well, tell her to come in," Tony responded.

"So," Peter said cautiously. "You're going to kill her if I don't cooperate?"

"Well, your indecision was making me angry, so…"

"You mentioned that you wanted revenge. Do you honestly think that two murders are going to satisfy your need for revenge?" Peter paused. "Warren, this is insanity…"

"No, for what I went through…"

"What did you go through? I can't help you if you won't let me…"

"The only thing that I need your help with is that I need you to suffer like I suffered."

"So," Natalie said impatiently. "Do I get the job?"

"Well, your work background is a little spotty," Pepper said as she looked over her resume. "And, I haven't heard of these references before in my life…"

"I have a diverse background," Natalie said confidently. "I promise that I will make an impact on STARK INDUSTRIES."

"Trust me, I don't doubt that," Pepper said sarcastically as she looked at Tony.

"Natalie, if there was a break-in," Tony said quickly. "What would you do?"

"I would use my vast knowledge in martial arts to make the felon regret the second that he decided to break into STARK INDUSTRIES…"

"You're hired," Tony said.

"Don't rely on Tony and Pepper to save you either," Warren said as he walked around Peter.

"What did you to them," Peter demanded.

"It wasn't me this time," Warren responded. "It was Obadiah…"

"As you can see," Pepper began. "You will be working for a stubborn boss…" She paused. "Tony, may I see you for a minute?"

"Sure…" They left.

"What in the world were you thinking by hiring a female Bruce Lee?"

"And this is a bad thing because…"

"Tony…" She paused. "I don't trust her."

"Well, Pepper, you aren't always the best judge of character… I mean, you rarely complained about Obadiah…"

"Oh, and you're the best judge of character?"

"Well, not exactly…" He paused. "Just give her a chance. I thought that she would live up to your standards."

"_Your _standards," Pepper responded before she left.

"Wait…" Peter paused. "Obadiah is a brilliant businessman…"

"So was Norman Osborn…" Warren paused as he looked at Peter.

"Tony," Pepper said. "Jarvis just brought my attention to something…"

"Look, if this is about Natalie…"

"No, it's not about Natalie." She paused. "Weapons specialist Ivan Vanko's father was murdered by Obadiah. Since then, Ivan has become famous for his infamous rants against STARK INDUSTRIES…"

"Leave it to Obadiah to get me into even more trouble…"

"Tony…" She paused. "I'm worried that he may try to come after you…"

"Highly unlikely," Tony responded. "Pepper, he just needs to blow off some steam…"

"What if there's more to it than that?"

"There isn't, trust me on that."

"Actually, he was a brilliant businessman," Warren said. "He died because he was trying to rid himself of two of your friends, actually. Pepper and Tony…"

"Are they okay?"

"They are for now. However, Obadiah ticked off a Russian businessman before he died and now, the businessman is after Tony…"

Ivan looked over all of the magazines that he could find on Tony Stark/Iron Man. If he was going to take him down, he needed to build something similar… very similar… to the Iron Man costume…

"Warren…" Peter paused. "I can't make the decision that you want me to make without Mary Jane…"

"Very well…" Warren paused as he looked at her. "I'll wake her up." He left.

"Did you hear something," Pepper asked Tony.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Mr. Stark…"

"Jarvis, please call me Tony. We've gone over this already…"

"The security footage has shown a break-in at STARK INDUSTRIES, sir."

"Is anybody in danger?"

"No… but the perpetrator is Miss Rushman…"

"You just had to give her the break-in scenario, didn't you, Tony," Pepper asked.

"We'll be right there," Tony groaned.

After they had returned to Tony's residence with Natalie, Pepper and Tony started to discuss the situation. "You have to fire her," Pepper said.

"What if there's an explanation? I mean, when I was trying the Iron Man suit out, everybody thought that I was a weapon of mass destruction…"

Natalie was getting ready to give a file to them. However, as she walked down the steps to Tony's garage, she stopped because she wanted to hear their conversation.

"Tony, she could be a felon, for all we know." She paused. "I cannot find any history of a Natalie Rushman anywhere. That's probably not even her real name!"

"It isn't," Natalie said to herself silently.

"There's probably an explanation…" Tony paused. "If there isn't, well, she picked the right place to be caught…"

"I hope I'm not intruding," Natalie said as she walked into the garage.

"Actually, you…" Pepper paused.

"What is it, Natalie," Tony said.

"I just wanted to give you the financial report."

"Yes, because who knew that clean energy could actually be profitable," Tony weakly joked.

"Why did you stop manufacturing weapons?"

"I realized that it was doing more damage than good." Tony paused. "Natalie, there comes a time in your life when you realize that you're not going down the right path…"

"That's surprisingly philosophical of you to say, Tony."

"Everybody gets out of character, once and awhile."

"Yes, they do." She left.

Natalie looked at a picture as she walked up the steps. "You pulled me out of a mess once, Clint. You're not here to do that anymore." She paused. "Which is why I can only hope that I'm not getting into that same mess again…"


	113. Rounds of Roulette

**Chapter Three**

_Rounds of Roulette_

Tony incredulously looked at Pepper as she stormed past him. "Where are you going?"

"If you're not going to help them, I am!" She left. Suddenly, she screamed. Tony raced outside, but she was already gone.

"Where is she," Tony asked Natalie as he ran back inside.

"Ivan has kidnapped her because he wants to get revenge on you."

"Where's Rhodey?"

"Mexico… remember?"

"Oh, that's right… the pilot training exhibit." He looked at her. "Natalie, I don't even know if I trust you… however, I do know that I need help and that you're the only game in town…"

"Let's go."

Mary Jane woke up. "Peter," she said. "Where are we?"

"Well, since your incompetent husband cannot make a decision without you, I had to wake you up," Warren said as he walked towards them. "So, which one is it going to be… your marriage or Aunt May's life?"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Mary Jane held on to Peter's arm. "You can't expect us to make that kind of choice," she yelled at him.

"I know that you're capable of making the decision…"

"Mary Jane," Peter said suddenly, "What would Aunt May want? Something tells me that she wouldn't want us throwing away our marriage for her…"

"Peter," Mary Jane said carefully, "She's always been one of the only people in your corner. I can't ask you to lose one of your surrogate parents again just to save our marriage."

"When I thought that I would be at the racing track," Tony said to Natalie. "I thought that it would be a lot different than this." Ivan was recklessly driving through the race track. Pepper was screaming as the other drivers tried to get out of his way. "He really needs to learn how to apply the brakes, doesn't he," Tony said as he flew in Ivan's direction. He stopped Ivan's car. "How about that? A new emergency brake, on the house."

"You are going to pay for this," Ivan said slowly.

"Don't you have any insurance," Tony asked sarcastically.

"I wasn't talking about the car," he said angrily. Then, he left.

"Tony," Pepper said. "He was driving like a madman! Even when I pointed out the fact that if he killed me this way, then he would end up dead himself, he still kept going!" She paused. "This is beginning to be too much for me…"

"What are you talking about?"

"This double life of yours…" She paused. "It's just that…" He kissed her.

"Hey," Natalie said. "Would both of you save it for the honeymoon? We still have a ticked off Russian on our hands…"

"Aunt May has sacrificed so much for me," Peter said. "I couldn't expect her to sacrifice this as well…"

"She doesn't deserve this," Mary Jane said. She started to walk towards Warren.

"So," Tony said. "There's a major weapons industry show tonight…"

"Yes, but that no longer applies to you, remember?"

"Yeah, it's hard to believe that I am now producing clean energy instead of weapons. I mean, I never recycled anything…"

"I know."

"No, but my point was that Ivan would be there."

"Yes, he would…"

"I'll reserve seats," Natalie chimed in.

"Mary Jane, don't," Peter warned. However, Mary Jane still continued to walk towards Warren…

Natalie sat down by Pepper at the weapons industry show. She looked at Tony. "Tony, there's been a situation," Natalie said.

"Where," Tony asked.

"Outside," she answered. He left.

Mary Jane whispered something into Warren's ear. He smiled.

"Pepper," Natalie said. "I must ask you to come with me… it's for your safety…"

"Why doesn't that surprise me," Pepper asked cautiously.

"Trust me," Natalie said. "It's for your own good." However, from Natalie's ambiguous facial expression, Pepper knew that something else had to be going on…

"What did you tell him," Peter demanded. However, Mary Jane just looked at him sadly. "What did she tell you," Peter asked Warren.

"You'll find that out soon enough," Warren answered.

"Don't move," Natalie said threateningly to Pepper once they were outside.

"I knew that Tony should have never trusted you…"

"You were right," Natalie said sadly as she pointed a gun in Pepper's direction.

"You think that destroying several lives is going to lead to justice," Mary Jane asked Warren.

"It always does…"

"No, it doesn't…"

"What did she tell you," Peter demanded.

"Divorce court is now in session," Warren said.

"You're working for Ivan, aren't you," Pepper asked.

"Yes…" Natalie paused. "I'm a Russian. My real name is Natasha Romanoff."

"Wait… Natasha Romanoff… you're the Black widow!?"

"I'm not proud of it, but I certainly live up to… and I deserve that name."

"Miss Romanoff," Pepper began. "I can only hope that someday, one day… you'll be able to redeem yourself."

"Pepper…" Natasha paused as she put away the gun. "Go!"

"What?"

"Go… if Tony asks you where I went; just tell him that you've seen the last of the grieving widow…"

"Grieving," Pepper asked questioningly.

"Clint, my husband, died," Natasha said as her eyes watered. She looked at Pepper determinedly. "Go," Natasha, ordered as Pepper ran away from her.

"Please tell me that you didn't," Peter said as he looked at Mary Jane.

"Peter, Aunt May sacrificed so much for us… she'd do the same if she were in our position…" Mary Jane's eyes started to water. "Peter, if we're truly meant to be together, we'll find each other again…"

"Listen, Mary Jane, Warren is not strong enough to separate us." He paused. "We will find each other and it'll be the same as it always was."

"Start saying your goodbyes," Warren said.

"Pepper," Tony said through Pepper's headset.

"Yes?"

"Listen to me… you have to leave right now… Ivan is ready to blow this place up any second now…"

"Wait… are you safe," Pepper said as she started to run.

"Yes, I'm going to be okay."

"So am I," Pepper said once she made it a safe distance away from the weapons industry display showcase.

"Where's Natalie?"

"She left." Pepper paused.

"Why?"

"She told me to tell you that we've seen the last of the grieving widow."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It will, someday…"

Ivan was running, desperately trying to get away from the showcase. Suddenly, he fell. He tried to get back up, but to his panic, he could not. "Father," he said sadly. The showcase started to explode.

"I love you," Mary Jane said to Peter.

"I love you, too," Peter said. They kissed. Suddenly, the room started to fade away…


	114. A New Day

**Chapter Four**

_A New Day_

Pepper looked at Tony doubtfully. "Are you sure that this is a great idea?"

"Trust me, Pepper, this isn't one of my dumb ideas… this will be great…"

"That's what you said about your last idea."

"Well, that's true…" He paused. "However, this one is different, trust me…"

"You honestly think that reuniting a widower and a widow who lost their loves through murder is going to help anything?"

"They did become a couple…"

"For a short time period, but their grief over the murders prevented them from staying a couple. Also, they are infamous for their arguments…"

"If there's anything that I know, it's that Mary Jane Watson Reilly and Peter Parker are meant to be together…"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Mr. Stark…"

"Jarvis, please! Call me Tony, remember?"

"Sir, they're here…"

"He's always so proper, isn't he," Tony asked Pepper. Mary Jane walked into the room from one entrance, Peter walked in from the other. "I know that it probably seems bizarre to you that I called you here… this isn't a business meeting or anything," Tony said awkwardly. "I just thought that it would be nice to reunite both of you…"

"Parker," Mary Jane said sternly.

"Reilly," Peter said as sternly.

"Great idea, huh," Pepper asked sarcastically.

"I have had better ideas."

"You were always trying to get rid of Gwen, even before she…" Peter paused.

"Me!? You were always trying to get Ben out of the way before he…" She paused. "Mr. Stark, I'm afraid that I have to leave now." She left.

"Why can't I get anybody to call me Tony," he asked.

"Maybe because they're afraid of you, Mr. Stark," Pepper said sarcastically.

"Very funny."

"I have to leave also," Peter announced. He left.

"Remind me that I would be great at running a divorce court," Tony told Pepper.

"Yes, you would." Pepper paused. "What did you say that her name was?"

"Mary Jane Watson Reilly… why?"

"I think that I knew her." Pepper paused.

"Pepper…" Tony paused. "You have to believe me that they belong together…"

"Since when did Tony Stark become a matchmaker?"

"Who knows?"

"That's even more surprising than your clean energy move." Pepper paused. "Reilly… Ben out of the way… Ben Reilly… Mary Jane…" She looked at Tony as she remembered. "Tony, I have to go now." She left.

"I'm great at clearing everybody out of a room," Tony said to himself.

"Yes, you are, Mr. Stark," Jarvis answered.

Pepper knocked on Mary Jane's apartment door. "Who is it," Mary Jane asked.

"I'm…" Pepper paused as she thought. "I'm one of Ben's old friends." Mary Jane opened the door. "I'm so sorry about Ben," Pepper began.

"Ben…" Mary Jane paused as she looked at her. "You look kind of familiar…"

"It's coming back, isn't it," Pepper asked.

"Yes… you're Stark's assistant! Just leave me alone," Mary Jane said as she tried to usher her towards the door.

"Wait, Mary Jane! I'm the CEO of STARK INDUSTRIES now; I'm no longer his assistant!"

"Well, you finally released yourself from his leash!"

"Listen to me, Mary Jane," Pepper began. "I understand why you're bitter; however, no amount of insulting me is going to get me to leave your apartment before you give me the chance to talk to you."

"I'm listening," Mary Jane said slowly as she sat down.

"I was Ben's best friend. I was at your wedding, remember? I helped you out right after he died…" She paused. "Please, Mary Jane, you have to remember! My name is Pepper and…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mary Jane said.

"Well…" Pepper paused. "I guess I should be going…" She started to leave.

"Pepper, do you want to see my play tonight? You could come as one of my honored guests…"

"You're back," Pepper said excitedly.

"I don't know what happened to me or my mind… whatever it is, it's not quite healed yet…" She looked at Pepper. "Just promise me that you'll be there for me throughout this ordeal. Remind me when I need to be reminded…"

"Don't worry…" Pepper paused. "I'm not going anywhere…"

"You little great negotiator," Tony said to Pepper. "She storms out, then, once you talk to her, she invites you to her play?"

"She just needed to be reminded."

"Well, what was I doing," Tony said sarcastically.

"Annoying both of them," Pepper responded.

After the play, Mary Jane was leading Pepper backstage. "There's someone that I want you to meet…"

"Your boyfriend," Pepper asked. It had to be Peter…

"Yes…" Mary Jane paused as they walked backstage. "Pepper, I would like you to meet Robert Carr, a fellow actor and my boyfriend. Robert, I'd like you to meet Pepper Potts, CEO of STARK INDUSTRIES and my friend."

"So, the famous Pepper Potts," Robert began. "You always took a lot of slack for working for STARK INUDSTRIES over the years…"

"Yes, I did," Pepper, said with mild annoyance.

"No, I didn't mean it like that…" He paused. "I think that it's honorable that you stuck with the company as long as you did even though everybody else was criticizing you. Your devotion to the company over the years has been legendary, even when Tony Stark himself hasn't been devoted to the company. Personally, I cannot think of a better candidate than you for the CEO of STARK INDUSTRIES…"

"That has to be the nicest thing that anybody has ever said to me about my work experience at STARK INDUSTRIES," Pepper said. "I'm glad that you don't judge based on what the tabloids say…"

"I'm an actor." He paused. "I can't judge on what the tabloids say…"

"That's true." She paused. "Well, good work, both of you in the play tonight and Mary Jane, I'll see you later…" She left.

Mary Jane and Robert were walking to a restaurant when something attacked them. "That face," Mary Jane said. "I've seen that face before…"

"Isn't that the green…?" However, before Robert could finish, something swung by. The object that swung by picked up both of them and it carried them to safety on the next rooftop. Mary Jane looked at their rescuer.

"Have we met before," the rescuer asked.

"We've met…" Mary Jane couldn't think of what to say. "We've met under different, yet still similar circumstances." The rescuer left. Robert looked at Mary Jane.

"This isn't working out…"

"What?"

"Us… in all honesty, Mary Jane, I don't even remember why we're together."

"Neither do I." She paused. "I can tell that you're interested in Pepper…"

"And I can tell that you're interested in Spider-Man…"

"Well?"

"Go get 'em, tiger."

"Right back at you," Robert said before he left.

Pepper was looking at everything in her new office. She picked up a present that Ben had gotten her. It was a silver compass with a stand. It had the words, "Always go your own direction," on it. However, as Pepper looked at it, she discovered a secret compartment at the bottom. As she opened the compartment, she was shocked to discover a letter.

_Dear Pepper,_

_ I can't write this letter to Mary Jane because her love for me would prevent her from making the right decision. I know that you, under any circumstance, can make the right decision. That's why I engraved the words, "Always go your own direction," on this compass. The truth is I'm a clone. I didn't want to face the truth, however, on the other hand that would explain my weird behavior, sometimes, right? Warren created me with the intention of he wanted me to be an evil version of Spider-Man. When I became a good version, Warren worked even longer on his clone formula. Now, any clones that become released will be destined on hurting mankind. Don't let Mary Jane tell you that they'll be able to change, it's not true. I was able to change only because Warren's formula was still in the experimental steps. You have to stop Warren. You've always been my best friend, and I am confident that you'll make the right choice for humanity. And, always remember, "Always go your own direction."_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Ben _

Pepper looked up, stunned. However, as she re-read Ben's message, she knew what she needed to do…


	115. Debates over Debates

**Chapter Five**

_Debates over Debates_

Pepper slowly walked up to Mary Jane's apartment door. As she knocked on the door, she tried to think of how she was going to tell her about what Ben said. Mary Jane opened up the door excitedly. "Pepper!" She paused. "I have something to tell you…"

"So do I…"

"Let me tell you first."

"Uh, Mary Jane, where are you going," Pepper said as she looked at various suitcases in Mary Jane's apartment.

"I'm going to meet Peter. Even if he doesn't remember me, I'll convince him… somehow…" Mary Jane hugged her.

"Mary Jane, I have something to tell you…"

"I know."

"You do?" Mary Jane nodded.

"Robert is yours. We broke up last night, so, he's yours." Mary Jane hugged her again. "I have to go. I'm going to be late for my flight." She left.

"So much for worrying about telling her," Pepper said to herself.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Obadiah slowly woke up. "The great Obadiah Stane…" Somebody walked towards him.

"Who are you," Obadiah demanded.

"Don't worry; I'm not here to kill you…" He paused. "I'm here because I respect you. I mean, you were able to escape from that Iron Monger suit before Tony Stark could kill you… the sad part is that you were only acting in Tony Stark's best interests…" He looked at him. "Please call me Warren." He smiled at him.

"Pepper," James said as Pepper walked towards the garage. "I always knew… I was just waiting for the day…"

"So, you're going to help me with this? That would be great, Rhodey."

"What am I helping you with?"

"Warren…"

"Who…"

"Nobody…" She paused. "What are you talking about, Rhodey?"

"You and Tony…"

"Tony…" She paused. "Excuse me…" She walked into the garage. "What is Rhodey talking about," she asked Tony.

"Probably the press conference."

"Press conference?"

"Well, my press conference on clean energy turned into a press conference on my relationship status…"

"Why doesn't that surprise me," she groaned. "You change your relationship status like you change your socks…" She looked at him. "So, what did you tell them, anyway?"

"I told them that I was in a relationship."

"With who," she asked.

"Who else?" He looked at her.

Peter tried to remember anything that he could about the woman that he rescued the other night… she just looked so familiar… he decided to visit Aunt May in the hospital to see if she knew anything about her…

"Me," Pepper asked.

"Why do you sound so shocked?"

"Tony…" She paused. "You shouldn't have done that…"

"Why not? I assumed with the other day that…"

"Tony, the other day, I was just grateful to be alive after being in a car with Ivan…" She paused. "It's like a soldier kissing a nurse after a war. Sometimes, you're just so grateful to be alive that you forget common sense."

"So, you're saying that the only reason that you kissed me is because you lost your common sense?" He looked at her. "I find that difficult to believe. Nobody kisses Peter… except for Mary Jane, of course, after he saves them." He looked at her. "You remember that, right?"

"Yes, I remember everything about Peter and Mary Jane now." Pepper paused. "Tony, all I'm asking is that you don't rely on me…. because I can't be relied on." She left.

May looked at Peter as he walked into the room. "Peter, this is a nice surprise!"

"Aunt May," Peter began as he showed her a picture of Mary Jane. "Do you remember this woman?"

"No… why?" Aunt May looked at him worriedly. "Peter, do I have amnesia?"

"If you have amnesia, Aunt May, then I also have amnesia." Peter put the picture back into his wallet. "I don't remember her; either… however, it feels like I should…"

"Well," May began. "Maybe you knew her in another life," she said jokingly.

"That could be a possibility…"

"You can't be serious," she said worriedly.

"I wish that I wasn't," Peter said. "Have you ever gone through something so weird, however, you can't remember what it was, you just know that it had a tremendous impact on you?"

"Yes," May began. She looked around. "I wonder that every time I end up in this place…" She smiled at him.

"Well," Peter said. "I need to be getting back to work. Unfortunately, lunch break doesn't last forever…" He started to leave.

"Peter," May began. "I remember her now! She's an actress, right?"

"Yes…" Peter paused. "That's right! Thank you, Aunt May, for a minute there; I thought that I was going crazy."

"All of us have those moments."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He left.

Pepper was trying to figure out where Warren was when she heard a voice. "Pepper…" It was Robert.

"Robert, uh, listen, I'm kind of busy right now…"

"Can I help you?"

"Actually…" Pepper paused. "That would be really appreciated."

"No problem."

"Listen…" She paused. "About me and Tony…"

"I'm an actor, remember? I don't trust anything that I hear from a secondhand source." He paused. "Once, I auditioned to play the hero, but they ended up casting me as the villain…"

"You weren't good enough," Pepper said jokingly.

"Probably not," he jokingly replied. "However, my point is, sometimes you want something that you don't deserve or that isn't the right thing for you." He paused. "You and Tony work well as a team, however, Tony doesn't deserve you…"

"I always felt like I had to be there for Tony in case he seriously messed up…"

"And he hasn't already," he said jokingly. "So, what can I help you with?"

"This…" She showed him the letter.

"When Pepper found Ben's note," Warren explained to Obadiah. "She became determined to try to stop me. It would be such a shame, wouldn't it, if Ben's best friend's moral crusade ended up ruining her life?"

"I'm definitely interested in this business proposition," Obadiah said. He smiled.

"Thank you," Warren said. "You should leave now… I think that phase one of our plans has just begun…" Obadiah left. Suddenly, Pepper's voice came through the intercom.

"Warren, your lair is completely surrounded…"

"I understand," Warren replied. "Just like I had planned," he said silently to himself. He smiled.


	116. Redeem

**Chapter Six**

_"Redeem"_

Pepper and Robert walked into Warren's lair. "It's over, Warren," Pepper said.

"If you say so," Warren said. He smiled at them.

Mary Jane knocked on Peter's apartment door. "Do you remember me," she asked.

"Of course I do." He paused. "You're the actress… but why are you here?"

"To be honest with you…" She paused. "I don't know…"

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Pepper looked at Warren suspiciously. "What do you mean, if you say so?"

"Well, I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Ben Reilly," Pepper said angrily.

"Oh, Ben, what a nice guy… it's such a shame that he had to go the way he did…"

"You probably planned it that way…" She paused. "After all, why would you have any need for him after he disobeyed your orders?"

"My orders?" Warren laughed. "Miss Potts, I barely knew Ben Reilly. All I knew about him was that he risked his life to save others… very honorable, however, unfortunately, that risk resulted in his own untimely death at the hands of that green creature…"

"Don't act like you never heard of the Green Goblin," Pepper said angrily.

"Wait…" He paused. "You're right… I have. You mean that person that flies around town with that hideous costume and awful mask on?"

"No," Pepper said angrily. "I mean that person that you're in cahoots with…"

"Trust me, if the goblin and I were in cahoots, I would've made him wear a better outfit…" He laughed.

"What do you remember about me, exactly," Mary Jane asked Peter.

"Not much, to be honest with you. I remember seeing one of your plays…" He paused. "There was a reason why I was there…"

"Yes, yes there was," she said hopefully. "Do you remember?"

"I think one of my friends wanted to see the play." He paused. "Well, was it that?"

"Kind of." She looked at him hopelessly.

"Warren," Pepper said sternly. "I know that you're lying to me…"

"Now, Miss Potts," Warren said with concern. "I know how you must be feeling about your friend's death, but I want you to think about what you're doing. You're about to take an innocent man…"

"You're not innocent, Warren."

"Miss Potts, I'm afraid that I have to tell you that you're operating above the law. Everybody is innocent until proven guilty, right? I deserve a fair trial at least."

"You're right, but it won't change anything. I know what you are…"

"I know I'm innocent…"

"Then, why aren't you trying to stop me from taking you?"

"Because an innocent man has nothing to fear."

"And, you think that you're innocent?"

"I don't think that I'm innocent, Miss Potts." He paused. "I _know_ that I'm innocent."

Mary Jane looked at Peter. "Do you remember anything else about me?"

"I know that Spider-Man saved you." He quickly cleared his throat. "I mean, uh, I'm his photographer… and, uh, he mentioned that he saved you because, you know, you're the famous actress and all…"

"You're never going to remember, are you?" She paused as she pulled a picture out of her purse. "This is us, together… do you remember?"

"We took this photo backstage, right?" He paused. "I'm sorry that I asked you for this photo… I think I had a bet with Liz that I couldn't get a photo with you or something…" He looked at her. "I'm sorry; you wouldn't remember who Liz was… Liz was my best friend…" He paused.

"Don't blame yourself for that, Peter. It wasn't your fault. None of us could prevent it." She looked at Peter. Suddenly, Peter got up. He was pointing a knife towards her.

"Who are you?"

"Peter…" She paused. "You aren't acting like yourself," she said in a panic.

"No…" He paused. "I am acting like myself."

"What made you like this?"

"You'd be this way if you lost everything that I lost."

"Peter…" She paused. "I was there with you; I lost everything that you lost."

"No, you didn't." He paused. "Not yet."

"A guilty man who's pretending to be innocent has nothing to fear, either," Pepper said.

"Miss Potts, why do you have this vendetta against me? By going after me, your friend's murderers are walking as we speak…"

"Stop lying to me, Warren."

"I have never lied to you, Miss Potts." He looked at her. "I have never killed a man and I have never been involved in a conspiracy to kill a man."

"I wish I could believe that," she said.

"Peter," Mary Jane tried to say as calmly as she could. "Listen to me, I'm Mary Jane Watson and…"

"I know who you are." He paused. "You're responsible for my misery. You murdered Gwen, you murdered Liz… Ned… Harry…"

"Listen to me, Peter…" She paused. "The Green Goblin, Warren… do you remember those names?"

"Stop trying to avoid what you deserve." He walked towards her with the knife. She started to run.

"I need backup," she said through her headset.

"Where's your evidence, Miss Potts," Warren asked. "How did you obtain permission to search my lair?"

"This is a note from Ben Reilly," Pepper said as she showed him the note. "It explains everything…"

"I see…" Warren paused. "You could've written this note…"

"I had the note tested… this is his handwriting…"

"Still, Miss Potts, he could've written this against me thinking that I was the goblin…"

"Highly unlikely."

"Alright, Miss Potts, if this in some way will subdue your grief, I'll be more than happy to help." He smiled at her.

Mary Jane was running when something suddenly picked her up. "Funny… I thought that you said that I would never pick you up."

"Very funny, Tony." She paused. "We have serious problems."

"I know… when a special romantic reunion turns into a movie of the week, something's askew…"

"I can't help him, Tony." Her eyes started to water.

"Please, don't cry. I never know how to handle these situations, so, everybody either feels awkward or I end up accidentally insulting somebody…"

"I can picture it." She laughed slightly.

"Don't worry; we're going to get Peter back, even if we have to fight some weird alien monstrosity in order to do it…" He paused. "Have you seen Pepper lately?"

"No… why?" She looked at him.

"Oh no…" He paused. "Warren…"


	117. Difficult Resolutions

**Chapter Seven**

_Difficult Resolutions_

Tony walked through STARK INDUSTRIES. "Okay, gentleman," he said to his business associates. "Shortly, you're going to meet the CEO of STARK INDUSTRIES, Miss Pepper Potts." He paused. "I must admit that she's the brains of the organization… what am I, you ask? Well, I'm basically the person who's here to perpetually annoy her." He paused as his associates laughed. "No, seriously, gentlemen, Miss Potts is an excellent businesswoman. In fact, this clean energy venture was her idea…" He paused. "Because as all of you know, I didn't even know the definition of recycling." He started to open up the door handle as the associates laughed. "Gentlemen, Miss Pepper…" Tony stopped as he noticed that Pepper and Robert were kissing. "Is this a bad time," he asked awkwardly.

"Tony," Pepper exclaimed as she pushed Robert away, "You should've told me you were coming…"

"And spoil all of the fun," he asked semi-sarcastically.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"I'm sorry, gentlemen," Pepper said awkwardly as she looked at Tony's associates. "Tony," she said. "You should've knocked first…"

"Yeah, I never learned the art of knocking."

"I've noticed." Pepper slightly glared at him.

"Robert… Carr, right? You're an actor, right?"

"Yes."

"Funny… I've never heard of you."

"Gentlemen," Pepper began. "Would you mind coming back later?"

"Robert," Tony began. "Would you give Pepper and me a chance to talk… alone?"

"Uh, sure." Robert and the associates left.

"What were you thinking," Pepper began.

"I was assuming that you would be working…" He paused. "Well, I guess you were technically working…"

"Tony…" She paused. "I commit 100% to this company…"

"More like 50%..."

"Tony…"

"What do you know about Carr, anyway? He's an actor, so, he could be acting out his feelings for you. Also, he could be planning a conspiracy against the company or Iron Man…"

"Tony…" She paused. "The night that Mary Jane and I went to the play, Mary Jane introduced me to him. They were dating at the time, but they broke up, so…"

"He's one of Mary Jane's exes? Oh, even better," he said sarcastically. "I mean, since her type is dark, mysterious and building jumping…" He paused. "What's happened to you, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're different." He paused. "First, what's the deal with Warren?"

"I found that letter…"

"That letter from Ben is putting you at risk. Pepper, Warren's dangerous and he's not buying into your plans to help you, he's thinking of himself."

"What if I know differently?" She paused. "Trust me; I've handled people like Warren before. I worked for you, remember?"

"Touché…" He paused. "Pepper, I just don't want to see you being hurt…"

"Tony, you take that risk every day with the Iron Man alter ego."

"It's different…"

"How…" She started to leave.

"Pepper, did the other day mean anything?"

"Tony…" She left.

"Mary Jane's ex-boyfriend," Tony scoffed. "Mary Jane…" He raced towards the garage.

"Business meeting," she asked.

"Something of that nature. Any word on Peter?"

"Yes, he's coming…"

"Here?" Tony smiled slightly. "And we haven't had any time to prepare…" He looked towards the roof. "I hope that it isn't raining."

"Why?"

"The roof's difficult to walk on if it's raining…"

"Walk on?" He smiled at her.

Peter, as Spider-Man, looked around once we arrived at STARK INDUSTRIES. Suddenly, he looked up towards the roof. Tony, as Iron Man, and Mary Jane were standing there. "Don't hurt him," Mary Jane warned Tony.

"Why not," Tony asked as Peter swung towards the roof. "He seems to be very intent on hurting us…"

"Tony!"

"Well, if you insist…" Suddenly, they felt rain droplets.

"Tony…" Mary Jane paused.

"Did I forget to mention that there was a 95% chance of rain today?"

"Tony…" She paused. "Just 95%?"

"Well, you can never be overly sure with weathermen…" He paused. "Listen to me; we're on the Iron Man proofed side of the roof." He paused as he looked at Peter. "He's not."

"Tony!"

"Look, if he falls, he'll probably have amnesia when he gets up."

"Tony, what if…"

"Well, either way, we'll no longer be on Peter Parker's most wanted list."

"Tony!"

"Mary Jane, if it's that bad, I'll go in and I'll stop him." Suddenly, Peter slipped off the roof. Tony looked down. "The poor pavement…"

Mary Jane walked into May's room in the hospital. "Do you remember me," she asked her.

"Of course I do. How could I forget the person who made my housewarming party years ago so infamous?"

"Aunt May…"

"Mary Jane…" They hugged.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what I had to do to Peter."

"I'm glad you did… thanks to you, we may get Peter back…"

"You already know?"

"Yes… Tony Stark told me…"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Pepper," Phil said through Pepper's headset. "There's been a new development in Warren's case…"

"I'll be right there."

"I'm so sorry," Warren began. "I'm just so sorry. There's no way that I can apologize for all of my wrong doings…" He paused. "Please forgive me; I was just trying to make the world a better place…"

"I wish I could believe that," Pepper said.

"Miss Potts, I was trying to make the world a better place. I know that you don't believe me, but I desperately wish that you could. I decided to create clones so that people wouldn't have to make difficult decisions…"

"It sounds like you created clones for control and world domination. You wanted to control everything…"

"No, Miss Potts, that's not the case. Haven't you ever had to choose between, say, two people…?" He paused. "Maybe you're even in the middle of one of those decisions right now…"

"Warren, stop trying to plead for the humanity that you don't even know yourself."

"Oh, but I do." Warren paused. "I just wanted to make the world a better place…"

"I know better." She started to leave.

"Wait…" Warren paused. "If I tell you who my clones are, that will rid the world of their evil intentions…" He paused. "I'll even let you kill them on one condition."

"What?"

"In return for my cooperation, my punishment will be reduced… do you agree with these terms?"

"Absolutely." Pepper smiled at him. He smiled back.


	118. Return of Hope Maybe

**Chapter Eight**

_Return of Hope… Maybe_

Mary Jane looked at May in her hospital room. "You know Peter better than anyone, right?"

"I wouldn't agree with you completely on that, Mary Jane. You used to know him very well yourself…"

"I _used_ to." She paused. "However, with this new change, I can't help him…"

"Well, if you can't help him, how do you expect me to…?"

"He would listen to you; he's not listening to me."

"Well, if I were in this situation…" She paused. "Take him to a place that will force him to remember…"

"Yeah, but what would that place be…" She paused. "Thank you, Aunt May." She left.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Steve Lee," Pepper began. "A longtime associate of Miles Warren… he quit last year under mysterious circumstances…"

"He quit because he knew the truth," Warren began. "He knew that he was just one of my clones and that I needed to dispose of him to prevent him from any wrongdoing…"

"Please, Miss Potts," Steve pleaded. "I'm not a clone. I started working for Warren three years ago. I quit because I didn't like some of his business practices…"

"Like the fact that I wanted to stop cloning and kill all of the clones," Warren asked.

"No… the fact that you created clones," Steve began.

"Steve, I know that you're upset about your situation," Warren said.

"Miss Potts," Phil said. "The results have the clone test have come back…"

"Clone test," Steve asked.

"We tested a strand of your head hair," Pepper began. "The test results show that you are a clone…"

"This is insanity," Steve began.

"No…" Pepper paused as she sedated Steve. "It's the truth. Phil, please dispose of Steve Lee…" Phil left with Steve in tow.

"Mary Jane, do you honestly think that by taking Peter back to George's Point…" Tony paused.

"Tony, what do we have to lose?"

"Our lives… remember, he just regained consciousness today…"

"Trust me, if we take him back to George's Point, he'll remember everything."

"Uh, Mary Jane, it's a building… nothing more…"

"It's so much more than a building, Tony." She paused. "George gave it to Gwen as a present, Gwen, Liz and Ned served as executive heads of George's Point, Peter went there as Spider-Man a lot…"

"I know, but, how is this going to help him remember us? He remembers everybody that you mentioned…"

"Tony, there's the memorial room, there's so much more…" She paused. "He'll remember that we restored George's Point to its former glory…"

"And, if he doesn't?"

"Then, we'll keep trying." She paused. "Peter never gave up on anybody. When Harry was dealing with his problems, Peter insisted that he get help, even if it meant dealing with Norman's wrath."

"Which is legendary, so I hear."

"Tony…" She paused. "My point is that Peter deserves at least this much."

"I have to agree with you…" He paused. "However, if we end up six feet under, I'm blaming it on you."

"You're amazing, Pepper," Robert said as they walked out of the courtroom.

"What do you mean?"

"Singlehandedly taking down one of the world's most dangerous men, not asking anything in return and successfully negotiating with that man?"

"Yeah…" She paused. "Except, I'm not taking him down singlehandedly…" She looked at him. "I never could've done this without your help, you know that right?"

"I have trouble believing that, but, for the sake of not arguing, I'll agree with you."

"I love you, Robert."

"I love you, too." They kissed.

"Hi, Peter," Tony said awkwardly as he and Mary Jane entered Peter's hospital room.

"Wow…" He looked at them. "This must be serious if a business tycoon and a famous actress have come to visit me…"

"Well, anything with you is pretty serious… usually." Tony awkwardly smiled.

"Yeah, but out of curiosity, why are you here?"

"I don't know exactly…" Tony paused as he looked at Mary Jane. "Whatever they have him on, I want them to keep it coming," he whispered to her. She slapped him.

"We're here because we're your friends, Peter," Mary Jane began. "You've been suffering from amnesia and we want to help you remember…"

"Remembering would be great."

"Great," she said awkwardly.

"Warren," one of Warren's attendants said. "You have a visitor."

"Send him in."

"Warren… I thought that you said you had this under control…"

"Hello, Obadiah," Warren said smoothly. "I've been expecting you." He smiled at him.

"Well, we're here," Mary Jane began as she, Tony and Peter walked into George's Point.

"Home sweet home," Tony said sarcastically.

"Is he always that sarcastic," Peter asked Mary Jane.

"No… sometimes, he's worse." Mary Jane paused. "Do you remember anything?"

"Ben… Sally and Jason… George… Gwen… Liz… Ned… Harry…" Peter paused as he looked at the memorial wall. "I couldn't save them…"

"This is going great, Mary Jane," Tony whispered to her. She slapped him again.

"I mean," Mary Jane asked. "Do you remember anything about us?"

"Yeah… you're the actress and he's the business tycoon, right?" Peter looked at them.

"This proves it," Tony said.

"Proves what," Mary Jane asked.

"Arachnids don't have great memory spans." He started to leave.

"Neither do men who fly around in iron suits," Peter responded. "By the way, MJ, aren't you worried about the rumors if you're seen out in public with someone like Tony Stark," he said sarcastically.

"He's back," Tony said excitedly.

"I think you have some explaining to do," Obadiah said as he sat down on the cot facing Warren.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're behind bars, Pepper and her new boyfriend are winning the battle against you, and you're acting like nothing is wrong?" He paused.

"Well, I thought that you would be more excited about Robert Carr…"

"I am… Tony's poor little heart will be broken… if that's even possible for him."

"I think it is." Warren paused. "Trust me, Obadiah; even though it doesn't appear like it, I am winning."

"May I ask how," Obadiah said.

"The smartest warrior always attacks at the end of the battle, when his enemies are tired from fighting at the start…"

"I underestimated you," Obadiah said. He smiled at him.

"Trust me, once the so-called clone wars are done, Pepper Potts will have regretted the day that she decided to try to avenge her friend's legacy."

"I like the sound of that." Obadiah smiled at him.

"I thought that you would." Warren smiled.


	119. Disturbances

**Chapter Nine**

_Disturbances_

"Emma," Dr. Connors said slowly.

"This lizard concept is a horrible idea," Emma Connors began. "I don't want you to test it out on yourself…"

"Science is full of risks, Emma." He paused. "I mean, just think, if scientists hadn't taken their own risks, where would we be today?"

"It's just that…" She paused. "I can't lose you."

"I can't lose you." They kissed.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise me that you won't work too late," Emma said as she started to leave.

"I promise." She left.

"Science is full of sacrifices, isn't it," Norman said as he walked into the room.

"The infamous Norman Osborn," Dr. Connors said in shock.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Warren," Pepper said with annoyance. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't tell you who my next clone is… I just can't…"

"Why not?"

"It'll change your life."

"So far, everything that you've told me has changed your life."

"For the better…" Warren paused. "This revelation isn't for the better…"

"Infamous," Norman asked jokingly.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"You didn't believe what you heard about me, did you?"

"Of course not…" Dr. Connors paused. "The press and paparazzi would eat anyone for breakfast…"

"If we let them," Norman said.

"Right." He paused. "I know what you mean about making sacrifices… my research on a new project has engulfed more of my time lately than my wife and kids have…"

"A family is the greatest gift that one could ever receive."

"I know." Dr. Connors paused. "Once I'm done with this project, I'm going to make it up to them…"

"Don't wait too late," Norman said. "I did."

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you… how is Harry doing?"

"Warren," Pepper began slowly. "Nothing that you say will ever surprise me. We made an agreement, remember? It's not going to change my life…"

"The clone's name is PP2008."

"Okay…" Pepper paused. "Would you mind giving us a human name?"

"Pepper…" He paused. "It's you."

"He passed away," Norman said slowly.

"Oh, Norman, I'm so sorry… I didn't know…"

"If you knew, you wouldn't have asked." Norman looked at him. Dr. Connors was looking at him with embarrassment. "You're just so lucky to have a wife and kids… and still be able to advance in your career and make outstanding scientific discoveries at the same time…" Norman paused. "I wouldn't want you to lose any of it. You deserve it."

"Thank you, Norman." He paused. "You deserved it even more than I ever did…"

"Well…" Norman paused. "To each their own…"

"You're lying," Pepper began.

"Pepper, I know this is difficult for you," Warren said. "However, I must insist that you have a head hair test…"

"Warren," Robert began. "Would you give me a chance to talk to Miss Potts… alone?"

"Yes." They left.

Peter knocked on Mary Jane's apartment door. "Peter, this is a surprise…"

"We need to talk."

"Robert, you know that he's lying and that he's insane and," Pepper said breathlessly.

"I know that, Pepper." He paused. "The problem is that the rest of the world doesn't know it. However, if we prove to them that Warren is the lying psychopath that both of us know him to be, he will be stopped forever. Isn't that what you want?"

"So, you want me to take the test?"

"Yes…" He paused. "It's the only way that we can stop Warren, if we back out now, it will look like Warren won…"

"Okay…" Pepper paused. "I will."

"I really should be going now," Norman said.

"Norman," Dr. Connors said. "I know that one day, OsCorp will return to its former glory… and you will be heralded once again as the world's best businessman."

"I wish I had as much faith as you did," Norman said.

"I know that it's going to happen." Dr. Connors smiled at him.

"What do you mean," Mary Jane asked Peter.

"Before our memories left, you and I were married. On our wedding day…" Peter paused. "Neither of us was truly happy, not like we should've been on our wedding day…"

"I was marrying you because I wanted to make you happy."

"I was marrying you because I wanted to make you happy." Peter paused. "Mary Jane, I love you, I'm just not…"

"Ready to commit again?"

"How did you…"

"I feel the exact same way." She paused. "It's going to take a while to get over everything that happened…"

"Can we start over more slowly this time around?"

"Sure." She paused. "Peter, I need to tell you something else…"

"What?"

"I know that you're Spider-Man."

"So much for the slowly part…" He paused. "Don't worry, I already knew that you knew about that."

"How?"

"Natural instinct?"

"You mean… spider sense…"

"Probably so."

Pepper was waiting for the test results in the court room. "Miss Potts," Phil said as he walked into the courtroom.

"Yes?"

"There's a problem with the machine… It's going to take a while to get it prepared…"

"Can't it be done any faster," Pepper said nervously.

"Miss Potts, several hair samples were run through the machine… Personally, I think it needs some repair and a break…" Phil paused. "I'm sorry about this, Pepper, but it's going to have to wait…"

"That's fine," Warren began as he stood up. "Robert and Pepper, take some time off. Don't think about the test results… concentrate on your relationship…" _You're going to need to concentrate on that, he thought to himself._ "Everybody knows that you're the power couple and that nothing is going to stop you. Both of you deserve some time off. Don't worry about me, I'm used to sitting in my lair… a cell won't be any different. Besides, an innocent man is more than happy to wait for however long it takes to prove himself innocent, right?" He smiled as he held up his hand-cuffed hands. "To Pepper and Robert," he began. "The perfect couple." He smiled at them.


	120. Wrong Revenge

**Chapter Ten**

_Wrong Revenge _

Dr. Connors watched in horror as fire broke one of the windows. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening…

"Mary Jane? Mary Jane," Peter, as Spider-Man, called out as he walked through the building.

"Over here," Mary Jane yelled.

"Where is he," Peter asked as he untied her.

"He left."

"It's not like the goblin to just leave without a fight…"

"You're telling me…"

"Let's get out of here." She put her arms around his neck.

Dr. Connors' eyes started to water. However, as another window broke, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Spider-Man was exiting with Mary Jane and both of them looked relieved and happy.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Pepper looked at Robert suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Well, you know that one restaurant that you've wanted to go to for months?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I finally got a reservation there. We're going there tonight."

"That's great." Pepper paused.

"What's wrong, Pepper?"

"I'm worried about Warren. I think that he's up to something. He was too eager to take a break from the clone case…"

"Of course he was. He's trying to avoid the inevitable, which is that everybody will find him out for what he really is once the results from your clone test come back."

"Are you sure," Pepper asked worriedly.

"A guilty man who's pretending to be innocent has nothing to fear, right," he said mockingly.

"No… not yet." She smiled at him.

Dr. Connors was sitting in a corner of his laboratory when somebody walked in. "Please leave me alone," he begged.

"It doesn't seem right, does it?"

"You're the…" Dr. Connors tried to move. "The goblin…"

"I have quite the reputation around here…"

"You're a murderer," Dr. Connors said as he tried to stand up.

"No…" The goblin paused. "I'm a vigilante."

"So," Pepper said to Robert at the restaurant, "How exactly did you get a reservation here?"

"They were more than happy to book the local hero and heroine."

"I'm sure."

"However," Robert began. "This reservation is about more than our achievements in the Warren case…"

"It doesn't seem right does it," the goblin repeated as he walked around the laboratory. "He, along with the girl, gets to live, while your family doesn't get that same opportunity?"

"You're a murderer," Dr. Connors said more weakly.

"Like I said, I'm a vigilante." He paused. "Spider-Man didn't save several lives that he could've saved…" He paused. "He should've saved Ben Parker, Sally and Jason, George Stacy, Gwen Stacy, Liz Richardson, Ned Leeds, Harry…" He paused. "Harry Osborn, Betty Banner and… your family."

"Look, just leave me alone!"

"Why would I leave you alone when I'm giving you the chance of a lifetime?" He paused. "The chance for revenge."

"Pepper," Robert began. "I know that we've only known each other for a short period of time, however, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. It's difficult for me to remember what life was like before you came into my life, however, I definitely know that I don't want to go back to that period of time again. You've changed my life in so many ways and…" He paused. "I love you, Pepper Potts, and I want you to marry me."

"Robert…" Pepper paused as she thought about Tony. However, all she could remember was the many girls that she had to kick out, Tony's irresponsible behavior and Tony's impulsiveness. "I have never loved anybody like I've loved you and my answer is yes." They kissed.

"What do you mean," Dr. Connors asked.

"What I mean is that Mary Jane Reilly isn't just an acquaintance of Spider-Man."

"She's more?"

"Yes…" He paused. "Even if they don't know that yet." He left. Dr. Connors walked over to his lizard specimen. His hands gripped the glass case. Suddenly, he dropped the case on the floor.

"I don't understand," Mary Jane began.

"Trust me, Mary Jane, I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't an emergency," Dr. Connors said.

"Is Peter okay?"

"I can't tell you that over the phone." He hung up. Mary Jane raced over to Secret Hospital.

"Dr. Connors," Peter said as he answered his phone. "This is a surprise."

"Peter, I know… I know everything about Spider-Man and…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know that you're Spider-Man. The Green Goblin told me." He paused. "Peter, he's holding Mary Jane and myself captive in my laboratory. You have to get here immediately. I'm trying to hold him off, but I desperately need your help."

"Is Mary Jane okay?"

"Peter…" He paused. "I can't tell you that over the phone. No! No!" Peter left.

Peter, as Spider-man, kicked down the door of Dr. Connors' laboratory. "Peter," Mary Jane said. "You have to leave."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"It's a trick! Dr. Connors wants to…" Suddenly, Peter was swept across the room by something. Peter managed to stop short of falling through one of the windows by swinging a web at one of the tables.

"Peter Parker…"

"Dr…" Peter turned around. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dr. Connors had transformed into this lizard like creation.

"No," Dr. Connors began. "My new name is Lizard…" His lizard tail swung towards Peter. Peter rolled out of the way.

"Listen," Peter began slowly. "I don't know what kind of laboratory accident did this to you, however, we're your friends. I'm Peter and this is Mary Jane, remember? We're not going to hurt you."

"It's too late for that." He looked around. His lizard tail swung towards the glass roof section that was above Mary Jane. Peter swung a web towards Mary Jane. Using the web, he pulled her out of the way of the falling glass shards.

"What are you talking about," Peter asked.

"You didn't save my wife and my son…." He paused. "Remember, the fire!?" He swung his lizard tail towards one of the windows.

"Listen," Peter, said as the glass broke. "The goblin did that to you. He set up a trap for both of us. I went in there to save Mary Jane because the goblin warned me that she was in there… he never told me about anybody else! I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Dr. Connors, I promise you that it will get better. When Gwen died…" He paused as Dr. Connors walked towards Mary Jane. "When Gwen died, I wanted revenge. It doesn't solve anything, it only creates more grief! Listen to me; we will get you some help!"

"The goblin is for me, you're against me… it's clearer to me now than it ever was," he said as the lizard tail pushed Mary Jane out of the window. She screamed. Peter lunged after her. Dr. Connors tried to attack Peter with his lizard tail. However, he missed as Peter jumped out of the window. Dr. Connors' lizard tail knocked a lamp into a basin of water. The electricity started to travel through the lizard tail.

"You're going to be okay," Peter said as he tried to catch Mary Jane.

"I've been better." He caught her.

Once they re-arrived in Dr. Connors' laboratory, Peter looked around for him. "No," he yelled as he saw Dr. Connors' lifeless body. "The cycle of Warren and the Goblin will never end, will it," Peter asked as his eyes started to water.

"It will…" Mary Jane paused. "One day."

"He didn't deserve this…"

"Nobody did."


	121. The Rumor Mill

**Chapter Eleven**

_The Rumor Mill_

Peter walked over to Mary Jane's apartment. As he knocked on her apartment door, he stared at the newspaper in his hand. Was she really that naïve and vain? Mary Jane opened up the door. "Peter, I'm so sorry about Dr. Connors," she began.

"I'm not here about Dr. Connors," Peter said gruffly. He showed her the newspaper. It had the headline of "STARK RAVING MAD: ACTRESS REILLY WAS SEEN COMING OUT OF STARK INDUSTRIES. TONY'S LATEST FLING?"

"I need to explain," Mary Jane began.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"That would be a start," Peter said. "You led me on like you were…"

"I was desperate, Peter."

"Apparently so."

"Not that kind of desperate," she said with annoyance. "Peter, when you lost your memories, you became aggressive and violent. You kept threatening to kill me…"

"Why would I ever do that," Peter asked. "You're making this up…"

"Peter, Warren convinced you that I was responsible for all of the murders that have affected you…"

"That does sound like Warren…"

"I went to Tony to get help because I thought that if I couldn't control you, maybe he could."

"Which he did, just by insulting me," Peter said sarcastically.

"Typical Tony."

"What is this about," Pepper asked Tony as she showed him the newspaper.

"Oh, that, you know the usual tabloid stuff…"

"Tony, this isn't funny! I don't want Mary Jane to be hurt…"

"Why should you care? You only care about Robert…"

"Tony…" She paused. "I care about Mary Jane. She's been through too much to become one of your playboy targets…"

"Mary Jane and I are not a couple."

"And…" Pepper paused. "Wait, what?"

"We're not a couple."

"You never were?"

"No…" He paused. "Your most wanted criminal, Warren, erased Peter and Mary Jane's memories…"

"I already knew that," she said with annoyance.

"When he erased Peter's memories, Peter became a revenge seeking vigilante…"

"Peter," Pepper said in shock. "That's like rumors that are going around about Mr. Rogers…"

"I know, right?"

"So, he went after Warren?"

"No… he went after Mary Jane. Apparently, Warren rewired Peter's memories to convince him that Mary Jane had caused all of the grief in his life…" Tony paused. "Which isn't too far from the truth, actually," he said sarcastically.

"Tony," Pepper said with annoyance. "So…"

"So, since Mary Jane didn't want to end up six feet under, she came here to ask for my help. That's all."

"But how…"

"I insulted Peter, and that brought back his memories."

"Only you, Tony," Pepper said as she shook her head.

"Speaking of news," Tony began. "There's this most ridiculous rumor going around about you…"

"What is it," Pepper asked cautiously.

"It's that you and Carr are…" Tony paused as he noticed that she was wearing an engagement ring. "Engaged." He paused again. "I guess you can believe what you hear…"

"I meant to tell you…" Pepper paused. "I really did, it's just that…"

"You know, I have a conference call in five minutes that I need to prepare for… excuse me." He left.

"Pepper," Mary Jane said as she walked into STARK INDUSTRIES.

"She's not here," Tony said.

"Well, where is she?"

"Celebrating her engagement…" He looked at her. "You just had to introduce her to him, didn't you?"

"Tony…" She paused. "I didn't know when I introduced Pepper to Robert."

"I know," Tony said slowly.

"If it helps anything," Mary Jane said. "I always wanted both of you to be together…"

"I know that you did… it was almost nauseating at the time." Tony paused. "Just out of curiosity, why are you here again?"

"To annoy you," she said sarcastically.

"You succeeded on that account."

"I need someone to visit May tonight." She paused. "Adrian has a business meeting and Peter and I are having our first date tonight since the…" She paused.

"Since the wedding that no one will remember," Tony asked.

"Yes…" She paused. "I thought that Pepper would be perfect… and May is lonely, so…"

"I would, but I have a meeting tonight," Tony lamented.

"Maybe that's for the best," Mary Jane said sarcastically. "You'd either cause her to go into cardiac arrest or she'd cause you to go into cardiac arrest once she straightened you out…"

"Very true." Tony paused.

"Well, I should be going," Mary Jane said.

"When Pepper told me, I told her that I had to prepare for a conference call. That wasn't the truth…"

"You never prepare for a conference call."

"Well, that's true, but I didn't have a conference call. I just needed some time to think."

"You can have anybody, Tony."

"I can have anybody… except for the one that I want the most."

Pepper knocked on Mary Jane's apartment door. "Tony told me what happened and I want to visit May tonight… Robert hasn't gotten the chance to meet her… Besides, we're bringing her food from a restaurant so that she doesn't have to endure another night of hospital food," Pepper said as Mary Jane opened the door.

"Thank you," Mary Jane said. "You're sure that this isn't an inconvenience?"

"Of course not. You and Peter deserve this at the very least…"

"Thank you." Mary Jane left.

"Robert," Pepper said. "I think that we should go now. She needs her rest," Pepper said as May slept.

"Probably a good idea," Robert agreed. "I have an early meeting tomorrow…" They left the hospital room. As they walked down the hallway, Robert groaned. "I'm sorry, Pepper, I forgot my keys. I need to go back… just stay here…" He left.

"This was a great idea," Mary Jane said to Peter at the restaurant.

"Listen, I'm sorry that I yelled at you earlier…"

"Peter, you've apologized several times already."

"I know… it's just that…" Peter's phone rang. "Perfect timing, right," he joked. He picked up the phone. "Pepper… is everything okay?"

"Peter," Pepper said between tears. "I'm so sorry… it happened after we left…"

"What?"

"Peter…" She paused. "Aunt May died tonight."


	122. Family Death

**Chapter Twelve**

_Family Death_

Peter sat there, stunned. He was trying to grasp what had just happened when Mary Jane walked into the room. "Peter," she began slowly. "I'm so sorry…"

"For all of the times she was there for me," he began. "I couldn't be there for her when she needed me the most." His eyes started to water. They hugged.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Peter," Pepper said as she and Robert rushed into May's hotel room. "I'm so sorry…"

"What happened," Peter asked angrily.

"I don't know," Pepper said desperately. "We were here because Mary Jane wanted someone to visit her, so, we stayed with her and we were getting ready to leave when…"

"I'm sorry to bother you…"

"Who are you," Peter asked angrily.

"I'm Roy Brody," he answered. "I'm the head of hospital security."

"Listen," Pepper interrupted angrily. "This isn't the right time…"

"I'm sorry, but what I have to say is very important. We inspected the security tapes and…"

"Security tapes," Peter asked.

"Mr. Parker, somebody unhooked your aunt from the life support system. We're trying to figure out who did it. But the security tapes… they're blurry and we suspect that somebody messed with those as well." He paused. "Did anybody have anything against your aunt or any reason to…"

"Listen to me," Pepper began slowly. "Aunt May was the kindest person that ever lived. Nobody would ever want to…"

"Unless she had an inheritance," Roy began.

"She had normal money troubles, like everybody else. Could you be anymore insensitive? Get out of here!" She ushered him out of the room. She looked at Peter. "Oh, Peter…"

"I need some time alone," Peter announced as he quickly walked out of the room.

"Who in the world would do this to May," Pepper asked Robert sadly.

"I don't know… but we're going to find out."

At the cemetery, Peter was putting flowers on May's grave when Mary Jane walked towards him. "She was always like a surrogate mother to me," she began.

"You definitely needed a surrogate mother with a family history that included your father and General Ross."

"Yeah, one of those would've been bad enough."

"Yeah, but you had both of them to contend with," he said weakly.

"Peter…" She paused. "You don't have to pretend that everything is okay all of the time…"

"Spider-Man has to…"

"Peter doesn't." She paused. "A wise man once told me to stop wearing a mask."

"What if that man doesn't exist anymore?" He paused. "I've lost so much since then… Ben, Sally and Jason, George, Gwen, Liz, Ned, Harry, and now, May."

"None of them would want you to wear a mask."

"It just seems that no matter how much I try, something always gets in the way of saving the people that I want to save the most." He looked at her. "I'm surprised that you're not trying to run as far away from me as you possibly could…"

"I figured out a long time ago that if something bad did happen, I'd rather be with you than without you when it happened."

"Why would anybody want to hurt May?"

"I don't know." Mary Jane paused. "Warren…"

Pepper and Robert marched into Warren's cell. "Who's working for you," Pepper demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"Somebody has to be working for you!"

"Good afternoon to you too. What are you talking about?"

"May Parker Toomes!"

"What happened to her?"

"Somebody murdered her… and you know who it is!"

"Listen, Pepper," he began slowly. "I know that you're upset and everything… but… I can promise you that I had nothing to do with May's unfortunate demise. She was a great woman and I will miss her terribly. Have you considered foul play in the hospital? Maybe one of the staff, for instance?"

"Anything's possible," Pepper began. "However, everything lately has been connected to you…"

"Nothing's been connected to me. I've come clean, I've confessed, I've stayed here, I've helped you out and I'm being treated like a common criminal."

"You are a criminal!"

"I'm innocent, Miss Potts!" He looked at her. "Miss Potts, I can only hope for you right now…"

"What do you mean?"

"A criminal may be in your life at this very moment. I'm worried that you won't find out until it's too late." He looked at Robert.

"We're leaving." Pepper and Robert started to leave.

"Poor May Parker," Warren began. "She shouldn't have been…" He paused off. "She shouldn't have been with Adrian."

"He made a promise," Peter said angrily.

"Peter, to Warren, a promise is nothing," Mary Jane protested. "This sounds like something that he would do. Falsely promise something to us if we agreed with him, separate us, then, break his promise…"

"What about Adrian," Peter said. "We were willing to give him a chance, however, what if he didn't deserve it? And Warren… Warren is locked up and he's giving away his secrets like…"

"Warren's giving away the secrets that he can afford to give away."

"I'm sorry; Mary Jane, but we never should've trusted Adrian."

"What are you talking about," Pepper asked.

"My next clone is Adrian Toomes."

"We have no way of testing that information, Warren," Robert said.

"You don't because the machine is broken. However, I confessed and all of my confessions have been right so far…"

"Yes, but…"

"You'd rather leave a dangerous and murderous criminal out on the street who's murdering the elderly instead of just going ahead and trusting my word? If you trusted me, you could put him to death immediately and we wouldn't have to wait for the test."

"You said that I was a clone," Pepper began slowly.

"You are a clone. My clones don't know any differently…"

"Pepper," Robert began. "Let's wait for the machine… please! Adrian's a nice man. He doesn't deserve…"

"Peter," Pepper said into her phone. "Warren confessed. Adrian's the clone and he murdered Aunt May. Could you locate him and bring him here?"

"I knew that you would do the right thing, Pepper," Warren said. Robert looked worriedly out the window.


	123. Deception and Truth

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Deception and Truth_

Peter, as Spider-Man, swung around the city looking for Adrian. When he finally saw Adrian in the Vulture costume, he swung a web towards him. However, something stopped Peter. He turned around. Tony, as Iron Man, was right behind him. "Tony," he said angrily.

"Pepper called me for backup in case you would…"

"In case I would try to get well-deserved revenge?"

"Let's let Pepper be the judge of that, okay?" He paused. "Look, Peter, I'll deliver the bird to the fryer, you… take the rest of the day off." Tony flew towards Adrian.

_Show me what I'm looking for, _

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"I'm innocent," Adrian, pleaded to Pepper and Robert.

"Innocent," Pepper asked semi-sarcastically. "Then, why did you take up your villain alter ego again?"

"I wanted revenge against the person that took May away from me."

"It sounds like you're trying to start your crime spree again… starting with May…"

"I never harmed her!"

"Let me remind you how your tumultuous relationship with her began. You crashed into her house, killed her lover and then, you kidnapped her. Yeah, that sounds like a fairy tale for the books…"

"She changed me!"

"She didn't. You only let her believe that she did. However, the truth is that nobody can change you."

"Whatever you take away from me, Miss Potts, it'll be nothing compared to what I lost when she was taken away from me."

"Pepper," Robert said slowly and cautiously, "I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Now?"

"Yes, now." They left.

"Mary Jane, where are you going," Peter asked.

"Adrian doesn't deserve this. I know that Warren did it."

"Would you listen to me, Mary Jane? He tricked everybody."

"Would you listen to me? Warren also tricks everybody."

"Not anymore." He paused. "I never should've let her marry him…" He left.

"What is it, Robert," Pepper asked with annoyance.

"I did it."

"Did what? Did you figure out a way to interrogate Adrian or…"

"No, I mean that I did it."

"What are you talking about?"

"It was like I was being taken over by some evil force or something…"

"What are you talking about, Robert," Pepper said with concern.

"When I told you that I needed to go back to May's room to get something, that wasn't me."

"What do you mean? It was you."

"I wasn't myself. I never told you that." He paused. "The truth is I don't remember telling you that."

"We'll go together," Mary Jane offered.

"We'll go together," Peter said slowly. "Thank you for changing your mind."

"I never did."

"Look," Pepper began with an awkward laugh, "I know that that night was a whirlwind for all of us… I barely remember it myself…"

"No, Pepper, I don't remember…"

"Are you having memory problems or…"

"Pepper, I don't know how and I don't know why… but I know that in some way, somehow, I am responsible for May's death."

"Peter, please don't take vengeance," Mary Jane begged.

"It's either vengeance or having him be out on the street and I'm not going to let another person be hurt."

"Peter…"

"Mary Jane, the humanity is at risk as long as he is alive."

"Robert," she began slowly. "I know that you've been under a lot of stress lately and…" Her eyes started to water. "I love you, and I will not let you do this to yourself!"

"I feel like I'm this host to some evil force…" He paused. "I reviewed Dr. Connors' research on possession and he came to the conclusion that the only way to get rid of the possessor was to…" He paused. "Kill the host."

"Robert," Pepper said pleadingly. "This is insanity."

"What if I'm one of Warren's clones?"

"He hasn't identified you as a clone."

"Yet…"

"Listen to me; you did not kill Aunt May." She paused. "All of this is a bad dream and it will go away. I've been expecting too much of you lately, with your acting career and trying to help me out with this…" She paused again. "I love you and I will see you through this. Right now, you just need some rest." They kissed. She sedated him. Mary Jane and Peter walked into the room. "He's exhausted," she explained.

"Here," Peter began. "I'll get him over to that bench." He carried him over to the bench. Suddenly, Tony came in.

"I always miss all of the parties," Tony lamented as he looked at Robert's unconscious body.

"Actually, I better take him to Secret Hospital," Pepper said nervously. "It might be a panic attack…" She left with him.

"I'm Dr. Rhys Baker, I'm Dr. Connors' replacement," Rhys explained as he looked at Robert. "What's going on?"

"This is going to sound insane, but potential other worldly possession," Pepper said wearily.

"Nothing sounds too insane for me," he said looking at him. "Miss Potts, if you're in as many as these situations as I am, you get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it."

"Well, you shouldn't, because nobody possesses him now and I can see no evidence of possession." He paused. "It's probably nightmares from the recent trauma… he'll be better in no time."

"Thank you," Pepper said excitedly. "That's such a relief."

"Pepper," Tony said to Pepper before Adrian's execution.

"Yes?"

"Nothing…" They watched through the glass soundproof wall as Robert talked to Adrian.

"I'm not guilty," Adrian, pleaded.

"I know," Robert began. "You don't deserve this; however, in this unfair world where justice is skewed, somehow, you do deserve this." He injected him.

"The only consolation that I have received in this horrible situation is the fact that May and I will be reunited." Suddenly, his face cringed with pain.

"Mary Jane," Peter began slowly as he watched from the glass window.

"Yes?"

"Somehow, I thought that this would make me feel better…" He paused. "It only makes me feel worse…"


	124. The Other Guy

**Chapter Fourteen**

_The Other Guy_

"General…" Major Kathleen Cabot paused as she walked into Ross' office.

"Not now," Ross answered silently yet sternly.

"It's important, sir."

"What is it," Ross asked as he turned towards the window.

"It's Banner."

"What about him?"

"He's on a rampage, sir."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Banner doesn't exist anymore." Ross paused. "He never did."

"Sir, I know that this is difficult for you, but…"

"Any casualties," Ross asked cautiously.

"Not yet, sir." She paused. "Sir, he has to be stopped."

"I know he does." Ross paused. "But I can't…"

"I understand, sir." She started to walk out. However, something caught her eye. "Sir, what about Miss Potts and Mr. Carr," she said as she pointed to a newspaper story that detailed Pepper and Robert's ongoing battle with Warren.

"Miss Potts was a friend of Betty's," Ross said. "I couldn't force her to…" He paused. "Besides, it would be a conflict of interest…"

"Sir, many lives are at stake. I know that this is difficult for you, but Miss Potts strikes me as a woman who wouldn't let her emotions get in the way of protecting the common good…"

"I know that." He paused. "Pepper has always been that way…"

"You used to be that way, sir."

"I'll talk to Miss Potts," he said slowly.

"Pepper," Robert began.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for not giving up on me the other day."

"Robert, so many times, the world has pushed me aside like I was one of Tony's many conquests." She paused. "You were able to see beyond the fact that I worked for Mr. Stark and you were able to see me for who I really was, without jumping to any conclusions."

"Whoever works for Tony must be longsuffering."

"Indeed," Pepper laughed nervously.

"Pepper, I will never give up on you."

"And I won't give up on you…" They kissed.

"I hope I'm not intruding…" They turned around to see Ross.

"General Ross," Pepper said uneasily.

"Pepper…" He paused. "He's back…"

"No…" She paused. "It can't be…"

"I wouldn't be asking you normally, but, I need your help."

"Pepper, no," Robert began. "Don't do this! It's too dangerous…"

"What can I do to help," she said slowly.

Mary Jane knocked on Peter's apartment door. "Listen, Mary Jane, if this is about our fight the other day…"

"It's not…" She paused. "Bruce has returned."

"What?"

"Ross enlisted Pepper's help today."

"Because the Hulk is on a rampage…" He paused. "He needs to be stopped, and there's only one way to stop him…"

"Peter, you don't mean…"

"Mary Jane, Bruce never existed. Bruce Banner was only the mask of a monster…"

"Peter, both of us knew Bruce and Betty. Bruce would never… what if somebody caused him to transform into a murderous version of the Hulk?"

"Mary Jane, you were there! You saw him murder Betty in cold blood, and you still defend him!?"

"Peter, what if somebody like Warren caused him to…"

"That's paranoia."

"Peter…" She paused as she sat down. "With everything that's been going on lately, I can't afford not to be paranoid."

"Why don't you rely on common sense instead?" He left.

"Pepper," Robert said gently. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'm okay. Why did you ask?"

"You look a little flustered."

"It's just… all of the cameras… I've never been to a film premiere before." She tried to force a smile.

After the film, Pepper checked her phone. As she noticed that Ross had left several messages, she started to hear noises that were familiar… too familiar… she left.

"I thought that you said that you would never be a part of the alliance," Tony, as Iron Man, said to Peter.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I knew that I would end up working with a web head one day." Suddenly, Tony became silent.

"What's wrong?"

"I trusted him. I always thought that he was…"

"Both of you really understood each other. Each of you has had your own personal demons to contend with…"

"And you haven't?"

"No… but Bruce was the closest thing to a best friend that you've ever had." Peter looked at Tony.

"What if Bruce and I go down the same path?"

"You won't."

"Why not?"

"A road traveler never takes a bad path twice." He paused. "And you, Tony, you are a definite road traveler."

"Thank you for coming," Ross said to Pepper.

"Thaddeus…" She paused. "Yes, for once in your life, you're not "Ross" or "Sir," because you don't deserve either title."

"What are you talking about?"

"You only cared about protecting your military failure." Suddenly, debris from a nearby building flew towards them.

"That's not true!"

"He kidnapped her several times before he murdered her. You couldn't protect her once. You had your priorities, and they weren't her…"

"Betty was everything that I had in my life." His eyes started to water.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have…"

"No, you should've… you just told me… too late."

"Peter, don't do this," Mary Jane yelled as she walked towards him.

"This city is at risk if he's alive."

"Have Tony try to talk to him! Maybe he can bring him back…"

"Yeah, Mary Jane," Tony began. "The beauty didn't kill the beast this time around… how in the world am I supposed to…" They watched as the Hulk threw a semi against the wall of a building. "Great time for a heart to heart."

"Just try," Mary Jane said. "None of us have a fighting chance."

"It's useless."

"Maybe not."

"What do you mean?"

"It looks like he has some company…" They looked at Pepper, who was climbing the debris with one hand and who was yielding a gun in the other.

"Remember Betty," she yelled angrily as she shot the gun towards him. The bullet bounced off him.

"Do we have any kryptonite," Tony asked. Suddenly, the Hulk took Pepper away from the debris. He held her precariously by one arm.

"Pepper," Robert yelled as he ran towards her. Suddenly, the Hulk dropped her. She screamed.

"Action time," Tony said as he flew towards her. He caught her in midair. "Long time, no see…"

"We work at the same company."

"My point…" He paused. "Pepper, I've been missing you lately and…"

"You never missed me before."

"Pepper," Mary Jane said as she raced towards them.

"Way to interrupt," Tony said.

"I'm great at that," she answered.

"I've noticed."

"I'm okay, Mary Jane." Pepper paused. "I just wish that I could've done more…"

"Where is he," Peter asked.

"Where he always is… on the run," Tony answered. "However, when he becomes desperate enough, he'll come back for us."

"Do you trust him," Mary Jane asked.

"No… I did once, but not anymore."

"Well," Robert began. "We have a film premiere to get back to…"

"Yes," Pepper said awkwardly as she looked at Tony. "They're waiting for us…" Pepper and Robert left.

"I'm sorry about the failed mission, sir," Kathleen said.

"So am I…" He paused. "I am not giving up, though. Whatever it takes, I will find him. He's harboring military secrets. His body is a weapon, one which the army desperately needs."

"Yes, sir." Kathleen paused. "We'll keep looking until we find him."

"I'll hold you to that."

"We won't disappoint, sir." She left. Ross walked over to his filing cabinet. He pulled out a file that was named JUSTICE FOR BETTY. His eyes started to water.


	125. Peace for One, War for Others

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Peace for One, War for Others_

Pepper looked at Robert. "Finally, some peace and quiet…"

"STARK INDUSTRIES has been busy with Tony's new clean energy plans…"

"Definitely… people are shocked that Tony even knows what clean energy is…" She laughed slightly. "He never recycled anything." She looked at him. "It's been so long since it's just been us together… no media… no corporation…"

"No paparazzi." They laughed. "I love you, Pepper."

"I love you, too." They started to kiss. Suddenly, Pepper's phone rang. "I have to get this," she sighed. "It might be important…" She looked at the screen. "It's Tony… he can wait…" She looked at him. "So, that new Chinese restaurant in town…" Suddenly, her phone rang again. She looked at it. "It's Peter. I need to pick up."

"Why?"

"It might be an emergency."

"An emergency for Peter would be if they cancelled science fair."

"Peter says that himself, actually." She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Tony was concerned. He said that he couldn't reach you. Is everything fine?"

"Everything is fine. Why did he call?"

"To find out how the clean energy meeting went."

"Very well. I'll talk to you later, Peter." She hung up. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "My new life as a CEO," she sighed as she walked towards the door.

"Peter and Tony were concerned," Mary Jane said. "They said that you sounded flustered."

"Who are you, and how do you know Peter and Tony?"

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Pepper…" She paused. "It's me, Mary Jane; I need to take you to the hospital…"

"I don't know who you are…"

"Pepper," Robert said. "Are you okay?"

"This woman claims that she knows me, but I've never seen her before in my life." She looked at him. "I'm going to find security." She left.

"What's going on," Mary Jane asked angrily.

"I have no idea… whatever it is; I'm going to be there for her… we'll get through this…"

"I think that Peter may be able to help us."

Pepper looked at Peter as he walked through the door. "Can I help you?"

"Pepper, I'm…" He paused. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"Should I," she asked nervously.

"Mary Jane and Peter," Tony said as he came in. "You called and I suspected that it was about our botched plan for this morning…"

"No, Tony, it's not that," Peter said.

"Tony," Pepper said. "What is going on here?"

"Do you know Spider-Man," Peter asked.

"The defender of the city… I know him that way… I don't know him personally."

"Mary Jane," Peter said. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." They left.

"Spider-Man's life has always been about sacrifice," Peter began.

"What are you saying?"

"If Pepper doesn't remember my secret and if she happens to forget Tony's, she won't be in danger."

"Peter, if you did that to me, I would be furious with you."

"Mary Jane, listen to me. When Liz forgot my secret, she was so happy. A burden was lifted from her. It was painful for me, but I would've done anything for her."

"Liz's knowledge of your secret was causing her great stress…"

"Tony's secret is causing Pepper stress."

"Which one?" She paused. "Look, Pepper still remembers Tony…"

"I don't remember you," Pepper yelled at Tony. She looked at Robert. "We need to leave." They left.

"Maybe not," Mary Jane said.

"Rhys will be able to reprogram her memories so that she'll remember us as people, not heroes."

"Peter…" She paused. "Iron Man is the only thing that made her respect Tony…"

"Maybe it did for a little while, but they're arguing all of the time now."

"You're right," she sighed.

"Guys," Tony said as he walked into the room. "They went to Secret Hospital. We need to get there... quickly!"

"I'll start the car," Mary Jane said.

"The car," Tony asked. "That won't be fast enough."

"What did you have in mind?" She looked at Tony.

"We'll call it the STARK INDUSTRIES individually powered jet."

"In other words, the Iron Man suit?"

"I liked the other description better."

_Our botched plan this morning?_ Robert kept going over those words in his head. Were Peter, Mary Jane and Tony trying to give Pepper extra stress… or… He thought about Tony. Tony did have a reputation… "I told you, Robert, I'm fine. Remember, we were going to try out that new Chinese restaurant…" She smiled at him.

"Yes, yes we were. You're sure that you're fine?"

"Yes." They left Secret Hospital.

"I'm sorry, Peter," Mary Jane argued in the Secret Hospital waiting room. "I do not agree with you. We are not rearranging Pepper's memories."

"Maybe you're not."

"Why must both of you have melodramatic lovers spats," Tony asked as he walked out.

"You don't," Peter asked.

"I do." He paused.

"So, how did it go?"

"Oh, everything's perfect, except for the fact that I'm going to kill Robert."

"What did he do?"

"They were here, but then, they left."

"She's happier, Tony," Peter said.

"How can you be so sure, Parker?"

"Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices for the ones that you love the most." Peter left.

"I love you, Pepper," Robert said at the restaurant.

"I love you, too." They kissed.

"I wish life could be different," Tony lamented as he watched from the window. He left.

Mary Jane tried to call Peter. The phone rang several times before a message showed on the screen: CALL IGNORED. "I wish life could be different," she lamented.

Peter looked through a photo album that contained photos of Ben, Sally and Jason, George, Gwen, Liz, Ned, Harry, Betty and May. He thought about how happy Liz was without his secret as he looked at her wedding photo. He wished that Gwen hadn't suffered because of him as he looked at their wedding photo. "I wish life could be different," he lamented.

"Be careful what you wish for," Warren said to himself in his prison cell. He smiled.


	126. Iron Wedding

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Iron Wedding_

"This must be a shock for you," Mary Jane said jokingly as she walked into the room where Pepper was preparing for the wedding.

"Yes, it is," Pepper, agreed. "One minute, I'm Tony's long suffering secretary. The next… I'm his fiancée."

"I know… who thought that Tony would ever get married?"

"I always thought that if Tony got married, it would be in an Elvis Las Vegas wedding chapel, I wouldn't be attending in any way, shape or form, and Tony would be getting a fast divorce, one which I would be dodging questions from the press about constantly…" She smiled slightly. "Tony's hostage situation was a blessing in disguise…"

"Why… because it helped him not to be a jerk anymore?"

"It changed him for the better." She paused. "Although, the whole jerk thing works as well…" They laughed.

"Everything's going so well," Mary Jane said.

"Why wouldn't it," Pepper said.

"I know…" Mary Jane smiled. "Life has been so easy since Peter became Spider-Man…"

"That's the same way with Tony."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"So, Tony," Peter began. "I never thought that I would see the day. The infamous playboy Tony Stark is finally getting married."

"I never thought that I would see the day when I would be getting married before you did, you little Boy Scout," Tony said as he fixed his bow tie. "Seriously, how long have you and Mary Jane been dating?"

"Too long," Peter laughed. "Trust me, though, MJ has been the only love of my life and I cannot love her any more than…"

"I know that this is a wedding day, Parker," Tony began. "But please, no sappy sentimentalities. I may lose my breakfast…"

"Some things never change."

"Speaking of things never changing, why did you nickname your girlfriend after an illicit drug? Ironic, isn't it? The Boy Scout may not be a Boy Scout after all…"

"In my defense," Peter began. "I'm not familiar with drug lingo…"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"It was funny," Peter said. "She always acted like she was this outrageous party girl…"

"Here we go…" Tony sarcastically sighed.

"However, at heart, Mary Jane was just the feisty girl next door type who felt like she needed to wear a mask all of the time to hide her true emotions… She couldn't separate her acting life from her personal life before…"

"Before you came into her life, I'm guessing," Tony said sarcastically. "This sounds like the plots of movies that I try to avoid at all costs…"

"Very funny, Tony."

"Listen, Peter…" He paused. "I know that I give you a lot of grief, but I give you that grief because I respect you." He paused. "If I didn't respect you, I'd be acting a lot more serious…"

"I know."

"I never thought that I would see the day when you would get married," Rhodey said as he walked into the room.

"I know, right," Tony said. "However, before we go through this monologue again, we did come here for a wedding, didn't we?"

At the reception, Pepper and Tony were dancing together when Ned Leeds and Betty Brant walked into the room. "The press has arrived," Tony said. "Let the games begin…"

"We promise that we won't be in the way," Ned said.

"I find that difficult to believe, but, welcome."

"You're dating," Peter asked Betty and Ned.

"Yes," Ned answered.

"This is great. How in the world did you convince Jameson to allow an office romance?"

"It was easy," Ned answered. "I told him that my concentration wouldn't be the same if he didn't allow it…"

"That worked," Peter said.

"Indeed it did."

"Oh, honey," Betty said to Ned. "Remind me later that I need to edit the Liz Richardson obituary…"

"I will." Ned paused. "It's such a tragic story… this Richardson girl was brutally murdered by some abomination-like creature…"

"That's so sad…" Peter paused. "Did he attack anyone else?"

"Yes, a psychologist… she didn't get away, either…" Ned paused. "This is Tony and Pepper's day. We shouldn't be talking about such subject matter right now…"

"Indeed not," Betty answered.

"So," Tony said to Pepper as they danced. "I bet that you never predicted that this would happen…"

"Actually, I was kind of hoping that it wouldn't," Pepper answered jokingly.

"Touché." They kissed.

"That's so sad…" Mary Jane paused. "I wonder if she had a family…"

"Who?"

"Liz Richardson."

"That would be sad." He paused. "Could you imagine what it's like to be a widow or a widower?"

"I can't." She paused. "That would be so painful…"

"I know."

"Peter…" She paused. "Promise me that you won't take on more than you can handle…"

"I'm not going anywhere," he answered. "Promise me that you…"

"I'm not going anywhere," she replied.

"Hey, Rhodey," Tony said. "Thank you for being my best man…" He paused. "It must've been difficult for you… to leave your precious jets… for your friend's wedding," he said jokingly.

"I was considering not coming," he answered. "However, most of the jets are in the shop," he said sarcastically.

"Lucky coincidence."

"Indeed."

"Mary Jane," Peter began. "The death of Miss Richardson and a conversation that I had with Tony made me think about our future together…"

"A conversation that you had with Tony made you think about the future?" She shook her head. "He really has changed, hasn't he?"

"He has." Peter paused. "Mary Jane, whatever comes our way, I know that we can handle it if we're together."

"We have so far, haven't we?"

"Yes… yes we have…"

"The city's lucky to have a hero like you, Peter."

"Yes… I wouldn't give up Spider-Man for anything…"

"I would never ask you to."

"I know." He paused. "Mary Jane, will you… will you…"

"Yes?"

"Will you…"

"Come on, you nervous Boy Scout," Tony said. "Ask her to marry you."

"Like he said," Peter said with a laugh.

"Yes," she responded. They kissed.


	127. What in the World

**Chapter Seventeen**

_What in the World_

"Mary Jane," Pepper yelled as she furiously knocked on Mary Jane's apartment door.

"Pepper," Mary Jane said as she answered. "Is everything alright?"

"No."

"What happened?"

"It's Tony."

"Is he okay?"

"Mary Jane, we got married… I don't remember that we did… all I know is that I woke up this morning with a ring on my finger and Tony."

"I knew that I should've had another cup of coffee this morning," Mary Jane sighed.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Okay, Pepper," Mary Jane said slowly. "Do you remember being under the influence of anything?"

"No."

"Did you visit Warren recently?"

"No, not recently. Besides, he's locked up. He can't do anything."

"Well…" Mary Jane paused as something on her hand scraped against the door. She looked at it.

"What is it?"

"Why in the world am I wearing an engagement ring?"

"Warren," Pepper said as she raced into the place where he was being held. "Do you know anything about a wedding and an engagement?"

"Good morning to you too, Miss Potts," Warren replied. "You look pretty flustered. You really should drink another cup of coffee…"

"Just answer the question."

"What question?"

"Do you know anything about an engagement and a wedding?"

"Since I've been in a cell for many days without any contact to the outside world, even a newspaper, I'm going to have to go with saying 'no.'"

"Of course." Pepper looked uneasy. "I'm sorry that I bothered you."

"Good day, Miss Potts." He watched as she started to race out. "Please slow down before you hurt yourself…"

"Pepper," Mary Jane said once Pepper came back to Mary Jane's apartment. "Did you find out anything?"

"Warren's not responsible."

"Okay…" Mary Jane paused. "Who could I possibly be engaged to?"

"Who else?"

"It can't be Peter." Mary Jane paused. "No, we're not ready… not yet… this is a disaster…"

"What are you going to tell him?"

"If I break it off, then, I'm afraid that it will hurt him…"

"If I break it off, then, I'm afraid that it will hurt her…" Peter paused as he talked to Tony.

"Both of you have come so close, though." Tony paused. "Both of you need to stop having cases of cold feet… I'm confident that both of you can get married again."

"I'm not…" Peter paused. "However, I'll go through with it. I don't want to hurt her…"

"I'm sure that she doesn't want to hurt you, either."

"What do you mean… she may not want to marry me?"

"This is the reason why both of you should go ahead and get married."

"I guess we're right." Peter paused. "It's going to be difficult. What are you doing about Pepper?"

"Absolutely nothing. I'm happy with everything."

"Sure, you're happy… but what about Robert?"

"Robert can find somebody else."

"Oh, I'm sure Robert's going to love that, isn't he?"

"Pepper made her choice."

"Oh no…" Pepper paused.

"What," Mary Jane said.

"I forgot about Robert."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." She paused. "I married Tony and I will see this through somehow…"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes…" She paused. "However, I also love Robert."

"Which one do you love more?"

"I don't know."

"So," Tony said to Peter. "Can we expect to hear wedding bells from you sometime?"

"I guess so."

"It's going to work out, Peter."

"I wish I had as much faith as you do."

"That's a first."

"I know."

"Pepper," Mary Jane said impatiently. "You're married. The Betty/Veronica dilemma cannot work now… it never did…"

"You're right." She paused. "I married Tony, till death do us part, I love Tony…" She paused.

"You have to tell Robert."

"I will tell Robert…" Pepper paused. "Sometime. Just give me some time to get used to this crazy situation myself first…"

"Don't take too much time," Mary Jane warned her. Suddenly, Mary Jane noticed a picture. "I think it's your wedding photo…"

"Are you sure?"

"Well, Tony is in a tux and you're in sleeveless white dress, so, I'm guessing that it is."

"You're right." Suddenly, Pepper noticed flowers. "Let me guess, that's my bouquet that you caught that I don't remember throwing?"

"Exactly." Pepper screamed slightly.

"It's going to be okay."

"How do you know?"

"Look at both of you. Both of you look so happy." Suddenly, Mary Jane noticed two small letters in the bouquet. THE ENGAGEMENT IS REAL, THE WEDDING IS REAL, one letter read. EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED ON THE WEDDING DAY ISN'T REAL, the other letter read.

"I'm sure that you can explain that away to me," Pepper said.

"Actually, I can, but I need to show it to Peter first." She left. Pepper continued to look at the wedding picture.

"Peter," Mary Jane said as she knocked on his apartment door.

"This has been one strange day…"

"Yes, it has…" She showed him the notes. "We forgot Gwen, Ben, Liz and virtually everything bad that had ever happened to us… and Ned was alive and dating a non-existent Betty Brant in this alternative reality…"

"That was scary…" Peter paused. "However, the weird thing was that we were happy… all of us…"

"We were happy when they were here. However, now, their deaths have become painful memories that just won't go away, even with time."

"What are you saying that we need to forget about them in order to make it up to the aisle?"

"No…" She paused. "You said that Spider-Man's life is full of tragedy…"

"It is."

"It doesn't have to be."

"You're wrong on that one."

"I'm not asking either of us to forget." She paused. "I'm asking both of us to be comfortable with moving on."

"That can never happen."

"Not today, not tomorrow, but maybe, just maybe, someday…" She started to leave.

"Mary Jane?"

"Yes?"

"I still want to get married. Do you?"

"I'll have to consult my schedule," she said jokingly. "However, I think that it could happen…"

"Weird day wasn't it," Tony asked Pepper in STARK INDUSTRIES.

"Yes, it was."

"You aren't thinking about running to divorce court, are you," he asked slowly and semi-sarcastically.

"You know, I might keep you," she said jokingly. They kissed.


	128. After Hours

**Chapter Eighteen**

_After Hours_

Peter, as Spider-Man, slowly walked into _The Daily Bugle_ office. He had received a threat from the newspaper office, so, he wasn't taking any chances. As he slowly crept past his desk, something suddenly attacked him from behind. "I always wondered how you got your photos of Spider-Man, Parker," his assailant said sternly.

"J.J.J.," Peter said in shock.

"Now I know," he said sternly.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Pepper cringed as the phone rang. "Hello, Pepper, why haven't you been returning my calls," Robert asked as he picked up.

"I've been really busy." She sighed slightly. "With the clean energy at STARK INDUSTRIES, and Tony's business plans and everything…"

"I understand." He paused. "Will you be getting some time off soon?"

"I…" Pepper paused. "I don't know."

"Pepper…" He paused. "You know that I love you more than anything and…"

"I love you, Robert." She cringed after she said it.

"Pepper… unfortunately, I need a favor…"

"What is it?"

"My costar, Emma Howard, had a family emergency, so, we need an immediate replacement…"

"And I'm your best bet? I know nothing about acting…"

"Trust me, it'll be great. I'll see you later. I love you." He hung up.

"I'll tell him tonight," Pepper promised herself. She looked worriedly out the window.

"How… wait… why…" Peter paused.

"You, Peter Parker, have been the focus of my concentration for the past months."

"Why in the world…"

"I wanted to avenge my son." Suddenly, a thud startled both of them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she laughed nervously as she picked up a trash can.

"Who are you," J.J.J. demanded.

"Oh, I'm new here, Mr. Jameson," she said as she tried to keep her blonde hair out of her face.

"What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Well," she laughed. "I could ask the same thing of you…"

"Just be more careful, okay. Now, get your papers or whatever it is you need, and get out of here!"

"If you insist." She paused. "I seem to have lost the papers…" She pointed at Spider-Man. "Who is he?"

"He's nobody… look," Jameson said angrily. "Your papers…"

"I'll look in my cubicle, sir." She paused. "It was so quiet; I didn't even know that anybody was here…" She left.

"Your son…" Peter paused. "Your son was a crazy murderer," he said angrily.

"You made him become that! He was going to be a successful astronaut until he learned of your supposedly heroic charades!"

"He never wanted to be an astronaut! You forced him to be that! He only did that…" Peter paused. "To please you." Peter quickly got into a spider-like position, with his hands and feet planted firmly on the ground.

"What…" J.J.J. paused. "You're lying!" He tried to push him towards the side of the room, however, Peter maintained his balance.

"I'm not." He paused. "All he wanted to do was please you…"

"You turned him into this!"

"It's nobody's fault." Peter sighed.

"Well, then, what happened? What made him become what he did," J.J.J. asked angrily.

Pepper cringed slightly. She was (literally) trying to act like everything was all right and that everything was fine, when she knew that it wasn't. The big romantic scene in the play was coming up, and she was dreading it by every second…

"I don't know," Peter said helplessly. "Maybe stress," he said emotionlessly.

"Stress gives you a headache; it doesn't turn you into a psychopath! Stop trying to blame my son for your own faults!"

"I suffered as much as you did," Peter said angrily. "He took my best friend, Liz Allan Richardson Leeds, away from me! Remember her, you told her that she was worthless?" He paused. "I wanted to kill him, but I didn't…," he said angrily.

"How dare you say that about my son!?"

"Listen, Jameson," Peter said as he tried to calm himself down. "We need to move on. Both of us. It's going to be okay, just stay with me…"

"My son…" He paused as his eyes watered. "My son…"

"It's going to be okay."

"Gwyneth, you know that I would be willing to sacrifice anything for you…" Robert paused.

"We can't elope, Roger," Pepper said as hopelessly as she really felt. "I have an obligation to Jensen..."

"Don't go through with that arranged marriage. Marry me because you love me…" Robert walked towards her.

_Is that Pepper_, the blonde woman thought as she watched the live performance on her computer in _The Daily Bugle_ office. _It can't be…_ She looked at her again.

"I do love you, Roger…"

"Then, marry me." They kissed.

"I don't believe this," the blonde woman said to herself. "Not Pepper…" She paused. "Poor Tony…"

"It's not his fault," Jameson said to himself.

"I know that this is difficult for you…"

"It's your fault!"

"Look, you were not the perfect father to him! He dreaded telling you that he was back in town! He didn't want to tell you!"

"You're lying!"

"Look, I know what you're going through…" He paused. "When Liz died, I wanted revenge. Revenge is a never ending cycle of hate that only leads to more hate in the end. Eventually, it will consume you." Peter paused as he took off his mask. "Mr. Jameson," he said. "Come back to the office. I will help you through this, I promise. We'll get through it together…" As he was saying this, he didn't notice that Jameson was gripping a knife with his left hand.

"A life for a life is the only just way to live," Jameson said angrily. However, as he tried to stab Peter, an office desk flung him across the room.

"Are you okay," Mary Jane asked as she raced towards Peter. She removed the blonde wig.

"I'm okay." He paused. "Thank you."

"I figured that I owe you one."

"Jameson," Peter said in a panic. They raced over towards him.

"Peter," J.J.J. said while breathing heavily. "I'm sorry… I should've listened to you…" He took his last breath.

The next day, Mary Jane raced over to Pepper and Tony's condo. "Is Tony here," she asked.

"No… why," Pepper asked.

"I need to talk to you." Mary Jane paused. "I saw the performance last night…"

"I'm so sorry…" Pepper paused. "I was just acting…"

"I'm an actress. I can tell the difference. Acting kisses are hurried, like, let's make this look real, but let's get this over with as quickly as possible? That… that was different."

"I will tell him."

"That's what you said last time." Mary Jane paused. "I don't want Tony to get hurt…"

"Neither do I…"

"Then, tell Robert the truth!"

"I can't…"

"You can't or you won't…"

"This is coming from the same person who couldn't decide between Ben and Peter…"

"That's different!"

"How?"

"I wasn't enjoying it."

"And I am?"

"There's no evidence to the contrary."

"Just leave, Mary Jane!"

"I will." She left. Suddenly, Pepper's phone rang.

"Phil?"

"Pepper, there's been an emergency with Warren. He needs to see you immediately."

"Another clone revelation?"

"Hopefully."

Pepper and Robert walked into Warren's cell. "What is it," Pepper asked. "Another clone?"

"Yes, my most dangerous clone, but I can't remember her name…"

"Listen, Warren," Pepper said angrily. "You better remember her name…"

"I'm trying," Warren pleaded. He looked at Pepper's hand. "Congratulations," he said as he pointed to the wedding ring. "When was the lucky day for both of you?" He paused as he noticed Robert's facial expression. "Oh, Robert, you're such a great guy for helping Pepper with my case even though she ended up marrying somebody else…" Robert left. Pepper walked out after him.

"I can explain."

"There's nothing to explain! Everybody told me that you were one of Tony's many conquests… I should've believed them!"

"Listen to me, I did marry Tony, but I was forced to…"

"Forced to?"

"No… I mean… somehow, I forgot about you when I married him."

"Apparently so," he said angrily. "Well, if I'm that easy to forget, I guess I should just get out of your life forever."

"I can explain," she said hopelessly.

"Explain it to Tony." He left.


	129. Three Ring Circus

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Three Ring Circus_

Tony was working on fixing one of his motorcycles in the garage when Rhodey walked in. "Hey, Rhodey…"

"Hi… Tony, I need to tell you something…"

"What? That the intruder alert button isn't working?"

"No," he said seriously.

"That was a joke, Rhodey. Seriously, you need to lighten up…"

"Were you aware about this," Rhodey asked as he showed Tony a newspaper.

"No…" Tony paused as he read the headline: THE CLONE WARS: PEPPER STARK'S TEST RESULTS ARE EXPECTED TO COME IN TODAY. COULD THIS FREE WARREN? "Why didn't she tell me about this?"

"That's what I'm concerned about." Rhodey left.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Step right up! Get your circus tickets here!" Peter, as Spider-Man, woke up to the incessantly bright and cheery music of a circus. Suddenly, he noticed that somebody was looking at him. "Who are you and where am I?"

"The answer to the last part of the question is obvious, isn't it?" He paused. "Not many people get to spend their last hours at one of the happiest places on Earth…"

"Who are you," Peter demanded.

"I'm Kraven the Hunter, or the Lion Tamer, also known as Sergei Kravinoff. I'm going to unlife you."

"Unlife me?" Peter paused. "That's a new one."

"Since you couldn't save my wife and my daughter, you're going to suffer as part of this three ring circus."

"Rhodey, this is insanity…"

"Tony, listen to me on this. I was at the grocery store the other day, and Robert Carr's mother nearly chased Pepper down with the shopping cart."

"Who knew that a shopping cart could be deadly," Tony said sarcastically. "Look, the Carr family is going to be angry, but they'll get over it…"

"I don't think so, Tony." Rhodey paused. "From her facial expression and what she was saying, I got the impression that Pepper never told them that she became Mrs. Tony Stark and that they found out…"

"Pepper would've told them."

"What if she didn't?" Rhodey paused. "Just think about it, okay? I don't want to see you getting hurt…" Rhodey left.

"Warren is making all of us insane," Tony sighed. Suddenly, something came on the TV.

"Warren has released a list of clone identifiers that will help the public determine if someone is a clone or not," the reporter said. "One: failure of communication." Tony walked over to the STARK INDUSTRIES phone to check the messages.

"Message sent yesterday:"

"Hi, Pepper, it's Robert. I can't believe that we're going to be getting married in just a matter of months…" Tony frowned.

"Number Two: Habitual lying."

"Look, so, Tony gave you the night off?"

"Number Three: Betrayal."

"So, you will be willing to be a part of the play? It'll be easier playing the romance scenes when you actually do have those feelings for your costar."

"Number Four: Lack of Love."

"So, Tony's been a drill sergeant lately, huh? I hope that he improves on that."

"And, Number Five: Trying to plot people against each other."

"I'll try to convince Tony to give you more time off, okay? Remember, you're the boss now." He laughed. "I love you and I'll see you later."

"End of messages."

"Well, that will certainly help the public identify clones. Thank you, Warren." The reporter smiled. Tony turned off the TV.

"Look, I'm sorry that I couldn't save your wife and your daughter…" Peter began. "I've endured losses very close to me and I know how you feel…"

"Stop trying to save your own life!"

"Listen, I've lost my wife, my best friend, four of my friends, two father figures, one surrogate mother and my boss…"

"And a partridge in a pear tree, at the rate you're going, I'm guessing," Kraven said sarcastically.

"I'm being serious," Peter pleaded.

"So am I." He paused. "I told them that you were Tobey Garfield, a stunt performer."

"What will I have to do," Peter asked.

"Figure out how to get out of a tightly enclosed box that's on fire," Kraven answered. "I doubt that your webbing will survive that…"

"Poor Jim Sommers," one of the performers explained to another performer. "He was a stunt performer and he was doing the fire box trick…"

"Wait…" Anita, the tight rope walker interrupted them. "What happened to him?"

"He passed away."

"Oh no." Anita paused.

Peter struggled against his constraints. He was starting to lose oxygen and he needed to figure out a way to get out of there and fast…

Anita tried desperately to keep her balance while she was tight rope walking. One wrong step and it could be the end of her life. As the rope swayed under her, Anita tried to regain her balance. "Tight rope walking with a gun," Kraven said as he looked at her. "That's something that I've never seen before. Anita looked panicked as she noticed that the flames were starting to engulf the box.

"Actually, it's a water gun," she said as she quickly stepped back onto the platform that held the rope. She sprayed the gun in the direction of the boss. Suddenly, Kraven, using a sharp sword, cut the platform. Anita screamed, but she quickly grabbed onto the end of the rope. She swung towards the now-wet box to help Peter climb out.

"Do you have a GPS system on my suit or something," Peter asked her.

"I have my ways."

"Mary Jane Watson, or should I say, Anita, you are amazing."

"I know."

"I see that you learned my tricks of the trade."

"Actually, I decided to take up rope swinging on my own free time," she joked.

"I'm glad." They looked around. Kraven had already left.

"Well…" Peter paused. "That's probably the most stunt-filled circus that anybody has seen in a while…"

"Tony," Pepper asked as she walked into STARK INDUSTRIES.

"Who are you," he asked sternly.

"Look, Tony, if this is a joke…"

"It's not." He paused. "I was playing the phone messages today…"

"I meant to erase that, I really did. It's just that I was busy…"

"Cheating on your husband must take up a lot of your time." Suddenly, Pepper noticed something on his desk.

"Tony…" She paused. "Why did you get a gun," she asked worriedly.

"Warren advises everybody to be ready to shoot a clone at will before they can attack them," he said sternly.

"Tony, listen to me."

"Why should I?"

"Tony," Pepper said worriedly. "Listen to me, okay, this is insanity. I don't know what Warren did to you, but we can help you."

"I'm not the one who needs the help." Tony paused. "For somebody who could use somebody in their corner right now, you've managed to make a lot of enemies. Me, James Rhodes, the Carr Family, Mary Jane and Peter…"

"I didn't mean to," she pleaded. "It all happened so fast. Listen…" She paused. "We're married and…"

"Not anymore." Tony paused. "Just based on the belief that your spouse could be a clone, the public allows you to get a divorce." He paused. "You could've had what you really wanted… Robert… if you weren't so busy manipulating people…"

"I'm not," Pepper, pleaded. "Please listen to me."

"Did you ever love me?"

"Tony… I…" Suddenly, Pepper's phone rang. "Hello, Phil," she said as she answered the phone.

"Pepper, you need to come down to Warren's prison immediately."

"Why?"

"There's been a clone emergency." There was a knot in Pepper's throat.

"I'll be right there," she said slowly, so she wouldn't break down.

As soon as Pepper arrived at the prison, two men were there to escort her in the prison. They grabbed her by each arm and they brought her to Warren's cell. Phil was already there. "What's happening," Pepper asked worriedly.

"Miss Potts," Phil began. "The test results came back and you are a clone. I'm going to have to execute you…" Phil began to walk towards her.

"Phil, it's me! Pepper! You know me!"

"I thought I did." He paused. "You must've thought that you were so clever, organizing against Warren, so, nobody would suspect you!" He looked at Warren. "I'm so sorry about what you went through, Warren."

"Don't feel sorry for me, Phil." Warren paused. "Feel sorry for Miss Potts."

"Remember Ben Reilly," Pepper screamed at Warren as she tried to break free from the grip of both men.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please! Let her go!" Warren paused. "Miss Potts, I know that this must be so difficult for you. Please believe me when I tell you that your life wasn't a lie. I'm sure that your life served purpose to others at some point in your life. I'm so sorry about this, but you yourself said that you would do anything for the good of society, even if your own life depended on it. I know that you will do what's right for the public, Miss Potts. If you agree and go with Phil, all of this will seem to be just like a bad dream." He paused again. "Pepper, I promise you that it's going to be okay…you'll see that it will be okay…" He paused. "It'll be over before you know it. I know that you feel bad about all of the damage that you've already done, so, I know that it's easier for you to give up your own life rather than see another person that you love become hurt by you." Pepper looked at him in disbelief. Then, she looked at Phil, who was looking at her like he could've killed her in a second. Then, she ran for her life. Phil and both men ran after her. "Gentlemen!" They stopped.

"Your most dangerous clone is getting away," Phil said. "Don't you see that?"

"Yes, I do." He paused. "She'll need some time, but she'll accept it."

"She'll run," Phil said.

"We'll stop her."

"How?"

"She's going back to her old apartment. We'll stop her from getting out the front door."

"What about windows?"

"Don't worry, with my plan, she'll either cooperate or die." He paused. "Either way, she will no longer be a risk to society…" He paused. "I just wish that it wasn't Pepper…"

"Listen to me." Phil paused. "You did nothing wrong. Pepper chose to live her life the way she did…"

"I know." Warren paused. "It's just so tragic…"

Tony looked at Pepper's photo frame in STARK INDUSTRIES. He put it in the trash can.

"Hey, Robert, where's Pepper," one of his fellow actors asked.

"We broke up."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not."

"We never should've trusted her," Mary Jane said to Peter.

"MJ," Peter said slowly. "Are you sure that we're doing the right thing?"


	130. Unlikely Allies

**Chapter Twenty**

_Unlikely Allies_

Mary Jane tried to collect her thoughts as she headed down to the police station. She still couldn't believe that Pepper was a clone; however, that was the only explanation for Pepper's absence over the last couple of months. As she walked into the police station, she tried to stop thinking about Pepper… "May I help you," the receptionist asked.

"I was wondering if there was any news about the Pepper Potts' disappearance."

"Hold on…" She left. Mary Jane looked at the Wall of Honor. As she looked at George Stacy's picture, she was surprised to discover that somebody was in the picture with George. George's associate looked familiar… too familiar…

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Pepper tried to hold back the tears as she prepared to go to sleep. Suddenly, she heard something. As she slowly walked out to the kitchen, the apartment started to shake. Pepper reached for her phone; however, she stopped because she couldn't think of anybody who would help her. Suddenly, a wrecking ball crashed through the apartment. Pepper screamed as the floor caved in. She quickly grabbed onto her neighbor's clothes line…

"I'm sorry, miss," the receptionist said to Mary Jane as she walked back into the room. "The information about the Potts case is strictly confidential…"

"I understand." Suddenly, Mary Jane's phone rang.

"We do not allow cell phones in here…"

"I'm sorry…" Mary Jane quickly looked at the phone. Peter had sent a text that said: PEPPER STILL NOT FOUND. She quickly turned her phone off. "It won't happen again."

"It better not." The receptionist left. Mary Jane continued to look at the picture of George Stacy and his associate. "Can I ask you something," Mary Jane asked as the receptionist walked back into the room.

"As long as it doesn't relate to the Potts case…"

"It doesn't." Mary Jane paused. "Do you have any old archive footage of George Stacy and his associate?" She paused. "I'm doing a research project, so…"

"I may be able to help you one that one, actually." She smiled slightly. "His partner's name is Jonathan Warren Baldwin…"

Pepper cringed as the clothes line started to rip. Suddenly, it gave way, sending Pepper rapidly towards the ground. However, it stopped ripping just before she reached the ground. She quickly tried to catch her breath and she started to run…

"Jonathan was basically George's surrogate son." She paused. "Even though Jonathan was much older than Gwen, George's daughter, I could still tell that there was a strong father-son relationship between George and Jonathan. When Jonathan watched as George interrogated a suspect for the first time, I could tell that there was a special mentor-trainee bond between them…"

_"Are you aware of any vandalism cases from the past month," George asked his suspect._

_ "No," the suspect responded._

_ "Where were you last night?"_

_ "I went shopping."_

_ "What did you get?"_

_ "Paint." The suspect cringed. "For the house."_

_ "So, you spent last night painting your house?"_

_ "Yes… Yes, I did."_

_ "Then, why was the paint company hired by you to paint your house?"_

_ "I… I… thought that it needed another touch up."_

_ "I see." George paused. "So, you painted your house last night and…"_

_ "I went over to the O'Henry place." The suspect cringed again._

_ "Oh, really?" George paused. "Well, we have sworn statements from three witnesses that you vandalized the O'Henry place at 9:00 P.M. last night. Is that true?"_

_ "10:00 P.M.," the suspect quickly answered. He cringed again._

_ "Well," George began. "Thank you for your cooperation." George and Jonathan left the cell. _

_ "That was amazing," Jonathan began. "How did you get him to confess?"_

_ "He was so overconfident of himself that when the time came, his overconfidence led to his downfall."_

_ "You're incredible," Jonathan laughed. _

_ "So are you," George replied._

"George's techniques made such an impression on Jonathan that he started to use them to interrogate people himself," the receptionist explained.

_"I believe you're innocent," Jonathan said to his suspect. "However, I need you to help me. Where were you last night?"_

_ "I went to the movie theater."_

_ "Was that before or after you murdered Mr. Hilton?"_

_ "Before." The suspect cringed._

_ "That was all I needed to know." Jonathan left the cell._

_ "You're doing great, my boy." George paused._

_ "Thanks, Dad." Jonathan paused. "It's all right if I call you Dad, right?"_

_ "Sure." George smiled._

"That was the last time that they saw each other before…"

"Before what," Mary Jane asked.

"Before George died." The receptionist paused. "After George's death, we never saw Jonathan again. Rumor is that he grew so disillusioned after George's death that he killed himself." She sighed. "George even had a special nickname for Jonathan because he always thought that Jonathan would grow up to be a just, duty serving, honorable, yet still fun and humble man."

"If you don't mind my asking," Mary Jane began. "What was the nickname?"

"It was Warren." The receptionist paused. "I really need to get going. I have a long day tomorrow…"

"Me too," Mary Jane said quickly before she left.

Pepper desperately tried to keep her strength up. As she leaned against the back door of the theater, it started to creak open. Pepper slowly walked inside…

"Peter," Mary Jane said. "It's me. Pepper's innocent."

"Wait… how… Mary Jane, she's not…"

"Warren was traumatized by George's death. Ever since then, he's used George's interrogating methods for evil."

"Mary Jane, I know that you want to help Pepper, but…"

"Listen, Parker, I don't care if you're not going to help her." She paused. "I am."

"Who are you?" Pepper jumped as she heard a voice. "I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean to scare you…"

"You're fine," Pepper said. "I was just leaving."

"That's not a good idea, Pepper."

"You know who I am?"

"I want to help you."

"You can't help me… it's too dangerous…"

"So is living the rest of your life on the run…" She paused. "Stay here in the basement of the theater. They're looking for you on the streets, not here."

"You don't know me. For all that you know I could be a highly trained killer…"

"A highly trained killer wouldn't look as weary as you do right now." She started to leave. "By the way, I'm Mrs. Ana Adams. I'm the owner of this theater… or I guess that you could call it a hotel…"

"Thank you." Pepper paused. "I'm Pepper Potts, the lost fugitive…"

"No, the brilliant CEO." Mrs. Adams left.

As Norman went through his mail, he was surprised to discover an unaddressed envelope. As he opened the envelope, he discovered a letter. NEW CLONE: MARY JANE WATSON REILLY- THE JACKAL. He smiled to himself.


	131. Question of Doubt

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_Question of Doubt_

"I'm so sorry, Robert," Warren began. "I really wish that it hadn't been Pepper…"

"Warren," Robert said impatiently. "You said that you had forgotten the name of a clone…"

"Oh, yes, I did." He paused. "She's my most dangerous clone, and I can't remember her name!" He looked worried. "I'm trying! Believe me, I am! Was it Kirsten… no… Sara… no… Jennifer… no… Lisa… no… Vanessa… no… Tara… no… Rebecca… no…"

"Warren!" Robert paused as he tried to control his anger. "Stop playing games!"

"I'm sorry, Robert." Warren paused. "I know that you loved her..."

"I did." Robert paused. "Once."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Okay," Mrs. Adams said to Pepper. "Let's get our stories straight. Your father just died, I felt sorry for you, you're a starving actress, and so, I'm giving you a chance as a chorus girl in my new stage production."

"What about my name," Pepper asked.

"Your new name is Dawn Mer." She paused. "I need to get back to work…" She started to leave.

"Mrs. Adams?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"No problem." She smiled at her before she left.

"Robert," Mary Jane said as she raced towards him. "I can't get Peter and Tony to listen to me about Pepper! Both of them want to execute her!"

"I don't blame them."

"She's innocent." Mary Jane paused. "I know that she is. Warren used to be an associate of George Stacy… when George was murdered, Warren became disillusioned and he used George's interrogation tactics to try to avenge George's death in some twisted way."

"Mary Jane…" Robert paused as his phone rang. "I have to get this." He paused. "Hello?"

"Warren wants to talk to you."

"Put him on the phone."

"Robert? I've figured out who the clone was." He paused.

"Tell me."

"It's just so awful… I can't say it…"

"Tell me!"

"It's Mary Jane Watson Reilly."

Peter, as Spider-Man, tried to search for a light switch as he wandered through the warehouse. He had no idea how he got there, or why he was there…

"Okay," Robert sighed. He hung up.

"What was it," she asked.

"Nothing," Robert quickly lied. "Good day, Mrs. Reilly." He left.

"Good day, Robert," Warren said as Robert walked into his cell. "I'm so sorry about our misunderstanding this morning…"

"You're fine, Warren," Robert said quickly.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Robert…" He paused. "I can tell that something is on your mind…"

"Nothing is on mind."

"Look, if it's Pepper, you can tell me."

"It's not Pepper," he said with annoyance. "My professional life comes before my personal life…"

"I'm glad to hear that, Robert." Warren paused. "Listen, if there's something that you need to tell me, you can tell me. Please trust me, Robert." He paused. "I know that it was difficult for you, but you did the right thing." He paused again. "Have you seen Mrs. Reilly yet?"

"Not yet," Robert lied.

"I know that Mary Jane was one of your friends," Warren began. "However, as long as she is alive, many lives are at risk."

"I didn't see her, Warren," Robert said sternly.

"I know that you didn't," Warren said. "Because you would always do the right thing."

"Good day, Warren." Robert left.

"Hey," Ana said as she came down to the basement. "Are you okay?"

"Remind me what the definition of okay is again," Pepper said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Why not," Pepper sighed. "Did you ever feel like you had finally figured your life out, that you had everything that you ever wanted? Then, you make one mistake, and your whole life crashes around you and your friends don't even know who you are anymore?" She paused as her eyes started to water. "Sometimes, you wonder if you ever truly knew them…"

"Pepper…" Ana hugged her. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Pepper jumped slightly. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." She left.

"May I help you," Ana asked as she answered the door.

"Yes, I'm Mary Jane Watson Reilly." She paused. "I'm an actress and I was wondering if you could help me…"

"I'm not holding any auditions at this time."

"No, it's not that." Mary Jane paused. "I was wondering if you heard of a Pepper Potts?"

"Yes, yes I have." She paused. "That clone runaway fugitive… they need to catch her and execute her immediately…"

"Then, you or no other theater director is harboring her?"

"Harboring her? Why, I'd feel sorry for the poor soul that even made the mistake of crossing her path." She paused. "Why did you come here, anyway?"

"She was friends with Robert Carr and me."

"Carr is doing an excellent job of keeping the clones off of the street." She paused. "Good day, Mrs. Reilly." Ana closed the door.

"That's what I mean," Pepper said quietly as Ana reentered the basement.

"Did you hear all of that?"

"Every word." She paused.

"Let me guess…" She paused. "One of your old friends, who due to this clone panic, has become one of your worst enemies?"

"Correct." Pepper paused. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Why do you trust me so much? You have no reason to trust me, especially with what the public has told you…"

"I've learned two things from the theater business." She paused. "First, never trust the public, especially when they're giving their opinion. Second, you can always tell when somebody is acting." She paused. "And you, Pepper, you would make a horrible actress…" She paused. "Because you always wear your feelings on your sleeves." She smiled.

Robert tried to call Mary Jane several times, but he couldn't. _You would always do the right thing_. He called her number. There was no answer, so, he left.

Peter, as Spider-man, stumbled across a big screen. Suddenly, the screen lit up. The Goblin's face appeared along with the message; I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF YOUR MISERY.

"Ross," Major Kathleen Cabot paused as she entered into his office.

"Not now."

"It's important, sir." She paused.

"What is it," he asked cautiously.

"Banner's on another rampage."

"Our relationship will never last," Mary Jane, lamented as she walked across the stage.

"It will last," her fellow actor persuaded her.

"No, it won't." Mary Jane paused as she looked at the ceiling. "Somehow, somewhere, someday, maybe. But not now… evil forces are in our midst, something terrible is going to happen…" Suddenly, the two men who had captured Pepper walked onto the stage.

"Mary Reilly, you are under arrest," they said as they started to carry her off of the stage. "Warren has proclaimed you to be one of his clones…"

"This is insanity," she said as she tried to fight them. "I'm innocent! Please, believe me! I'm innocent! I'm not a clone!" She was carried off the stage.

"This is the most realistic show that I've seen in a while," one of the theater patrons said.


	132. Stark Contrast

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Stark Contrast_

James slowly walked into Tony's garage. "I'm sorry, Tony," he said slowly. "Did they find her yet?"

"No."

"I know that you loved her, but, remember, you're Tony Stark. You can have anybody. Pepper…" He paused.

"Pepper deserves what's coming to her." He left.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Warren looked at Mary Jane as she was being forced into the courtroom. "I'm so sorry about this, Mary Jane," he began.

"I bet you are," she said angrily.

"Now, I know that you're angry." He paused. "I'm so sorry and I deeply wish that it wasn't you…"

"No, you don't," she yelled. "Pepper is innocent and you…"

"I'm trying to do what is best for the public."

"Are you," she yelled. "This is what is best for the public!?"

"Yes…" He paused. "You have to face the truth. You're a clone, just like your husband. Everything that ever happened, both of your actions, your feelings for each other, it was all preprogrammed by me…"

"You…" She tried to choke him; however, the security guards restrained her.

"Gentlemen, please!" He looked at her. "I'm sorry, Mary Jane, but you have to be executed…"

"Where's your proof," she asked.

"I have proof," someone said. She turned around to look at her accuser.

"Peter?"

"This woman has been trying to stop justice from happening in all situations." He paused. "She has tricked all of us… my only regret is that I didn't turn her in sooner…"

"Don't feel bad, Peter," Warren said.

"Peter," Mary Jane said in shock. "I have been there for you through everything and this is how…" She paused. "I thought that we understood each other…"

"We never did," he said slowly.

"Now, Mary Jane," Warren began. "I know how upsetting this much be for you, but please try to understand…"

"Remember George Stacy," she said slowly. "Jonathan, please I know that you want revenge…"

"You're crazy," he said as he tried to choke her. "She's just trying to appeal to my emotions so that she can kill me slowly." However, his facial expression had changed from one of confidence to one of sadness, anger and panic. Suddenly, the building started to rumble. Everybody started to try to race out of the building…

"Ana," Pepper said, "I should be going."

"No, stay here! Please, you're not safe out there!"

"I've put you in enough danger as it is." Suddenly, the building started to shake. "They've come for me! They're going to destroy the building! Follow me," Pepper said as she led her by the arm.

Mary Jane wearily walked outside. The guards had raced outside to see what the commotion was, so, she was trying to plan her escape. However, something started to come towards her. She looked at the object in horror. "Banner?" She grabbed a crowbar that had fallen into the rubble. Slowly, she walked towards the Hulk as she held the crowbar towards him. Suddenly, he grabbed her, and he threw her…

"He's in a coma," the doctor said. "Is there any identification on him?"

"No…" His assistant paused. "I couldn't find anything…"

"Keep looking, and let me know."

"Don't worry, you're going to be okay," Pepper said to Ana. "I will see to it that you'll be okay…"

"Can I help?" They turned around. Robert was standing there.

"Robert," Pepper asked wearily.

"Do you trust me?"

"Do I have a choice," Pepper said wearily.

"Come with me. There's a basement in the theater where I work." He paused. "There's something else. When I asked you to marry me, I meant it."

"I will," Pepper said quickly.

"Did I mention that I am certified to perform marriage ceremonies," Ana asked.

"Is there anything that you're not certified to do," Pepper asked.

"Not much."

Peter and Tony tried to search through the destroyed streets for Pepper and Mary Jane, but they couldn't find them. "Tony," Peter began. "What if we can't…?"

"Then justice will never be served," he said slowly.

"You may now kiss the bride," Ana finished. Pepper and Robert kissed. "Well, that was the fastest marriage ceremony that I've ever done on record." She looked at Pepper. "Just be grateful that my latest play happened to include a wedding finale, otherwise, this thing wouldn't have looked halfway formal without the wedding outfits."

"Thank you for the dress," Pepper said.

"You owe me one," Ana joked.

"I owe you a lot more than one."

She wandered along the snowy trail, wondering who she was and why she was there… suddenly, a car pulled up beside her… "Going my way," the elderly female driver asked with a smile.

"I'd answer you if I knew my own way."

"Well, then, I think that it would be wise of you to go my way."

"Where's Ana," Pepper asked Robert as she walked down to the basement.

"Pepper, relax," he laughed. "Ana is fine. She went to the bathroom."

"By herself?"

"Well, most people tend to go by themselves." He looked at her. "It's time for the reception."

"Yeah, uh, let me remind you, we have no music…"

"To the contrary…" He opened the cabinet doors to reveal a large stereo system. "All of the cast members love this thing after we work…"

"Why not," Pepper laughed slightly. They started to dance together. Suddenly, Pepper noticed something. "What is that?"

"What is what?"

"That." Pepper pointed to a red stain on the floor that was coming from two red curtains.

"Probably a prop malfunction or something," Robert said.

"Well, don't you think that we should clean it up?"

"Pepper…" He paused. "Get out of the work mode for once. It is our wedding day."

"I know, but…" Pepper walked over to the curtains. As she opened the curtains, her foot slipped slightly on the red substance. She looked down on the floor. Ana's lifeless body was covered with blood. She screamed. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain.

"What a shame," Robert began. "You're going to stain that dress," he said as he removed the knife. "And, to paraphrase my dear friend, Norman Osborn, that, dear Pepper is why only fools fall in love." She took her last breath as he smiled.

"Tony," Peter began. "We won't find them in time!"

"In time for what, Peter? This is what we wanted, wasn't it!?" Tony paused as his facial expression changed. "It never was what I wanted."

"I know."

"But how can she be innocent? There's no…"

"They have to be innocent," Peter said. "There has to be a way. There has to be…" Suddenly, Tony's phone rang.

"Is this Tony Stark?"

"Yes… who is this?"

"This is Secret Hospital. We need you to come here immediately, sir."

"Why?"

"We can't tell you that over the phone, sir."

"Tell me now! I've had a rough day as it is and if you don't tell me now…"

"Mr. Stark…" They paused. "Miss Pepper Potts was murdered…"

Peter stood by himself at Pepper's funeral. He decided to try to talk to Tony. "Has anything been found out about Mary Jane yet," he asked trying to change the subject.

"No…" He paused as his eyes watered. "I've stopped looking."

"Tony…" He paused.

"Don't, Peter." He paused. "Pepper was there for me more times than I ever could have been there for her, and the time that she needed me the most, my own stubbornness prevented me from being there." He paused as he handed Peter something. "If I couldn't be there for her, then I can't be there for anyone…" He left. Peter opened up the package to discover the Iron Man suit with the word TRASH attached to it.

"Thanks," she said as she joined the elderly woman in the car. "What is your name?"

"I'm June Waterford," she said.

"It's nice to meet you, June," she said as she tried to get her red hair out of her eyes. "Do you know who I am?"

"Of course. You're a famous actress. You ended up here because of some horrible life circumstances, but, trust me; I am going to lead you to a better life." She paused. "You're Lauren Franklin."

Peter decided to go to George's Point to try to find Mary Jane. However, as he walked to George's Point, he was shocked to discover that the windows and doors were barred. He discovered a note on the door: TONY STARK HAS DISOWNED THIS PROPERTY. Peter leaned his head against the door.


	133. Aftermath

**Chapter One**

_Aftermath_

Tony's head was buried in his hands. He never should've trusted Robert… why in the world had he trusted him? If he had only not trusted him, Pepper would still be alive and here with him. Suddenly, something made him jump. He turned around to discover a knife attached to the fireplace with a note on it that said: I MISSED YOU ON PURPOSE.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"This is going to sound strange, but…" Lauren paused. "Do you remember anything about me?"

"Of course I do." June paused as she drove. "You're a famous actress, and I must get you back to the stage."

"Thanks." Lauren paused. "I was worried that I didn't have any family or…"

"You have me," June answered. "And that's all you need."

"Thank you." Lauren paused. "Where are we going?"

"New York."

Natasha looked around as she was waiting for General Ross to enter the room. Finally, he walked into the room solemnly. "For this assignment, Miss Romanoff, we have some video footage that I have to show you. Some of it is very graphic…"

"No such thing for me, General, trust me. I've seen pretty much everything."

"Miss Romanoff…" He paused. "This is from my daughter's wedding…" He played the footage of Bruce destroying the reception area and murdering Betty. Natasha leaned forward.

"That must've led to one heck of a honeymoon," she said sarcastically.

"Natasha…" He paused as he slowly sat down in his chair. "This is serious…"

"Oh, nothing can be too serious for Thunderbolt Ross, right?" She smiled slightly.

"My daughter meant everything to me and…" He paused as his eyes started too water.

"Look," Natasha said angrily. "You've tried everything to capture the Hulk. How in the world do you expect me to…?"

"He'd never suspect you," Ross said slowly. "We're going to send you down to where he works, and you'll work there…" He paused. "You must assume the part of a poor soda bottle factory worker…"

"So, basically go from riches to rags… no problem. If I can wear a prison uniform, I can wear anything…" She paused. "Even a locally made Quaker-type dress."

"I also have to warn you that you would be putting your life on the line…"

"Isn't that the way it is with all of my assignments," she asked with a slight smile. "Trust me, General, you have my guarantee. We will capture Banner this time."

"I'll hold you to that," he answered solemnly yet hopefully.

"What is this place," Lauren asked as she investigated the rundown George's Point.

"It used to mean a lot to you," June answered. "It's where you got your first break…"

"Yeah, but…" Lauren paused as she started to remove the wooden planks blocking the building. "It looks pretty rundown…"

"That's because the owner lost faith in it," June answered.

"That's too bad," Lauren responded. She walked into George's Point. "Look at this," she said as she pointed to the photographs. "This place is crowded with dust and cobwebs…" She paused. "Do I have any money?"

"Of course."

"I'm going to see to it that somebody cleans this place up." Lauren stumbled across the memorial room. "This is a memorial wall of some kind…" She paused as she pointed to a picture of Ben Reilly. "He looks familiar…" She paused as she tried to remember.

"_This is incredible, isn't it," he said as they danced at their reception._

_ "What is," she asked._

_ "It's our wedding day, and, we've spent most of the day with other people."_

_ "Yeah, this day has been a blur," she laughed. "I love you."_

_ "I love you, too." Suddenly, he left. She slowly sat down and another man walked into the room._

"I couldn't give my heart to that other man because my heart was still with him," Lauren said as she pointed to the picture. "It's impossible… I mean, there's no way that I could have known this random guy on the wall…"

"Wait," somebody called out.

"We need to get out of here," Lauren said. She started to run.

"Wait," they called out again. They stopped when they had reached June. "Why didn't you stop her," he demanded.

"Oh, she doesn't need to be stopped. She just needs some time to absorb everything." She paused. "Trust me, she'll come back."

"How do you know?"

"She doesn't have any money on her. She's relying on me." She paused. "I'm June Waterford… and you're Peter… Peter Parker… aka Spider-Man." She smiled at him.

_"Anne,"_ _someone had called out._ _"There's someone who we want you to meet… again."_

_ "Okay," she responded. She smiled at him once he walked onto the balcony. "You're looking a lot better than you did when I first met you," she said as she sat down on the balcony. She smiled._

_ "Thanks to you."_

_ "Oh, it wasn't all of my doing." She smiled._

"Anne… Anne!" Michelle waved her hand in front of her best friend's race.

"Michelle?"

"The merger…"

"Oh, yes, the merger." She paused. "What about the merger?"

"It's been almost two years," Michelle paused. "Harry was great, but he's gone. You have to move on… he'd want you to be happy."

"I know, but…" Anne sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "I can't." Her thoughts drifted back to that day…

_"You know," Anne said as she sat down by a sunflower-decorated water statue. "A lot of people thought that you weren't going to make it. They deemed you this poor little rich kid who dabbled in drugs…"_

_ "Thank you for not giving up on me."_

_ "My number one rule is to never give up on my clients." She smiled._

Natasha was carrying a case of soda bottles as she walked by Bruce. "Oh, good, kind, sir," she exclaimed as she nearly dropped the case. "Please help me! I'm weak! You look like such a strong man!"

"I'm not strong anymore." He paused.

"You're Bruce Banner, I take it?"

"How did you know?"

"Name tag," she said with a smile.

"You're Winona Nightingale, I take it?"

"Yes… isn't that lovely… sweet little nightingale," she said in a sing song voice.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you." He paused. "I can't help anyone." He started to leave.

"Including you," she said arrogantly. He stopped suddenly before he decided to keep walking. She adjusted the handkerchief that was covering her head. "Good luck, Banner," she said to herself. "You're going to need it." Then, she walked back into the factory.


	134. Why Argue?

**Chapter Two**

_Why Argue?_

A depressed Tony was standing by the fireplace when somebody walked into the room. "Leave me alone," he said angrily. "I'm not excepting anymore appointments…"

"I don't need an appointment for you, Mr. Stark," she said. She smiled at him. "I'm the Vulturess."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"June," Lauren said. "June! Why are you stopping me? Don't you see that he's dangerous?"

"I'm not…" Peter paused.

"He's not dangerous… you've known me before…"

"Is this another in another life type deal or…" She sighed in frustration as she slapped her hands against her legs.

"Sort of… no, nothing like that…"

"Mr. Parker is a Broadway director who will lead you to great stardom," June said quickly.

"He is," Lauren asked.

"I am," Peter asked questioningly.

"Yes," June said as she gently hit Peter. "Yes, he is…"

"Well, thank you, but I can't accept this offer." She paused.

"Why not?"

"Because I'll never be ready for the big time roles." She started to leave.

"I told you to leave me alone," Tony said angrily.

"Don't tell me that the demon in a bottle is influencing you already," she said as she grabbed the bottle from his hand. Swiftly, she threw the bottle out of the window.

"Are you crazy," he exclaimed frantically. "Do you have any idea how much that stuff costs?"

"I have a pretty good idea on how much it's costing you." She paused. "Once, nobody took you seriously. You were the rich, party loving playboy and your partner Obadiah did all of the work. Then, you were kidnapped, and after that, you changed for the better. Until the love of your life passed on, then, you became a depressed recluse…" She looked at him cautiously. "Somehow, I don't think Mrs. Carr would approve of that…"

"Don't call her that," he said angrily.

"Tony," she said cautiously. "Look around. You don't even have one picture of her here…"

"That's because it hurts too much to look at the pictures." He paused. "All of the memories…"

"Pepper was a human being, Tony." She paused. "You placed her on too high of a pedestal. She always wanted you to give Iron Man up because she was concerned for your safety." She paused. "Frankly, she should've been worried that you would give Iron Man up and turn into this…"

"I'm fulfilling the legacy that she wanted for me," he said angrily.

"Oh, I'm sure Pepper would've loved to see you turn into a recluse. With this type of personality, no wonder she went for Carr…" Suddenly, Tony lunged for her neck.

"Let it go," he said angrily.

"I'm sorry, Tony." She paused. "I know that it seems so cliché, but I honestly do know what you're going through."

"No, you don't," he angrily yelled.

"I was like you, once," she said sadly. Suddenly, she handed him something. It was an Iron Man mask. "This is your destiny," she said before she left through the window. The curtains blew in the wind. Tony looked angrily at the mask before he threw it into the fire.

"All right," Peter said abruptly to Lauren. "That's fine."

"Okay… wait, it is," she asked curiously, as she spun around on one heel.

"Yes… I was considering another actress anyway, so, thank you for stepping away so graciously…" He nudged June. "Let's go." They started to walk.

"Are you nuts," June asked him.

"I'm learning the tricks of the trade from you."

"Well, I take that as a 'yes.'"

"You should."

"Wait," Lauren called out.

"Yes," Peter asked impatiently.

"Well," Lauren paused as she looked at the wedding photo of Mary Jane and Ben. "What actress wouldn't love a chance to become famous?" She paused as she looked at the picture again. "I look like her…"

"Of course you do," Peter said sarcastically. "You women just pick out some random person, and suddenly, everybody looks like everybody else." He grabbed her by the arm. "C'mon… I'd hate to keep June waiting." They walked towards her.

"Oh, I see that you changed your mind," June said without emotion.

"Yes," Lauren said excitedly.

"What a shame," June said sarcastically. "I was really looking forward to meeting what's her name."

"To tell you the truth," Peter began. "I don't even remember myself."

"It must not have been that important, then." June paused. "Welcome aboard, Lauren, darling."

"Thanks." Lauren smiled at her.

"Winona," Ross paused. "Winona, do you copy," he said through Natasha's headset.

"Of course, General." She rolled her eyes slightly.

"Banner…" He paused.

"Banner is going to fall into our little trap so easily that it's going to be ridiculous." She paused. "I have to go. Potluck time."

"I hope the food is good at least."

"Highly unlikely," she said as she removed her headset.

Forks clinked as food was being passed around the table. Natasha kept a close eye on Bruce as the mashed potatoes were being passed towards her. "These…" She paused. "These are so heavy… Mr. Banner, could you please give me a hand? I'm very weak."

"I'm sorry, but I can't." He paused. "Excuse me." He left.

"I'm afraid that I have to use the bathroom," Natasha exclaimed. "Would you excuse me?" She left.

As Bruce walked out of the room, Natasha was right behind him. "How dare you not help me," she angrily yelled at him. "You're a strong man and you won't help a weak woman! What kind of a man are you?"

"Look," he said angrily. Suddenly, he paused. "Just leave me alone from here on out," he said wearily before he left.

"Not in my plans," Natasha said to herself. She smiled.

As Michelle walked into the room, she worriedly looked at Anne. Anne seemed to be in a daze. _"I'm surprised you trust me with your business secrets," she said as she started to open up a journal._

_ "Trust me, you have a brilliant mind," Harry said. "Who else would I trust?"_

_ "Good point." She smiled._

_ A few days later, Harry was showing the workers at OsCorp a slideshow of pictures of Anne and her accomplishments. "Which is why, gentlemen," he concluded. "Anne Toomes is the perfect choice for this new position."_

_ "I have always been impressed by OsCorp and I am confident that I will be a valuable asset to this company," she said confidently. She smiled._

"Anne, are you okay?"

"Huh, oh, yes, Michelle."

"Don't work too late tonight."

"The merger needs to be done."

"That's what you say about everything else that you've worked on all night." She paused. "I know it's not easy, Anne, but you have to move on." Michelle paused. "Maybe all of us do." Then, she left.


	135. Falling

**Chapter Three**

_Falling_

Natasha watched Bruce as he walked out of the factory. "You enjoyed killing her, didn't you," she yelled. He stopped. "Didn't you," she yelled angrily. Suddenly, he pushed her against a tree.

"You aren't really who you say you are, are you," he said.

"Maybe, maybe not." She smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Tony was suddenly whisked out of his apartment by something. "I've tried everything else that I could think of," she explained. She dropped him. Tony started to yell. "Funny… and I thought that only girls screamed in damsel in distress situations." She dove after him.

Lauren sat down on a train. "Where did you find him anyway, June," she asked.

"Who?"

"Peter." She paused as she frowned at him. "He's just so bull headed and stubborn."

"I'm learning it from you," he said sarcastically. She left.

"Ah, young love," June, said. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"She'll never remember me," Peter groaned.

"She will, Peter," June, said as she reached for his hand. "She will."

"Your days of roaming around as a mindless, murdering beast are over," Natasha said.

"Ross," Bruce said slowly.

"He has you surrounded." Bruce took his arm away from her neck. She ran back into the factory. When she came back, she was wearing jeans, a jean jacket and a shirt.

"Why did you leave," Ross demanded through her headset.

"I needed running clothes on." She paused. "I can't run in a second hand dress." She looked at Bruce. His eyes were turning green.

"That may have been a great idea," Ross said. Suddenly, Bruce transformed into the Hulk.

"General," Natasha said. "I'm afraid that you didn't adequately warn me about what would happen…"

"I'm afraid that I did." They started to run.

"Are you crazy," Tony yelled as she caught him.

"Quite possibly," she answered as she dropped him again.

"You share the name of a criminal! Adrian Toomes was the Vulture and he murdered…"

"He didn't murder May Parker Toomes," she said angrily.

"Well, if not him, then, who," he said as he fell.

"I don't know." She caught him. "However, I do know that I will find the culprit someday…" She dropped him again.

Natasha worriedly watched as the Hulk destroyed the road, knocking cars and rubble out of his path. "Do you see what I mean," Ross asked her. "He's a menace."

"He hasn't killed anybody, though," she responded.

"Yet." He looked at her worriedly.

"General," she said. "What if you got the wrong person," she said as she looked at him in doubt.

"You saw the footage," he said angrily. "It's Banner."

"True," she said. She stared at the Hulk intensely. "Maybe he's just putting on an act for us…"

"Very possibly," he said. "He'd have too many witnesses…" Suddenly, she recognized his facial expression.

"I've seen that look before," she said quietly.

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"He's desperate… he wants to get out of this situation…"

"Of course he does! He's cornered!"

"I meant he would do anything to bring Betty back." She started to walk up the pile of the rubble.

"Are you crazy," Ross asked angrily.

"General," Natasha began. "Both of us are risk takers. Please respect my judgment." She left.

"Look," Tony said angrily. "Nothing you do is going to change my mind. I suffered and…"

"I know that you suffered," she said as she caught him. "However, you're not the only one who suffered. Peter suffered through losing many of his loved ones, I've suffered…" She paused. "The world does not revolve around you, Tony Stark." She dropped him again. "I know that Pepper's death was extremely difficult for you, but that should be no reason for you to give up your other identity."

"I had every right," he said.

"What about all of the people who have suffered in your absence," she asked as she caught him. "Pepper wouldn't want you to leave somebody stranded because of her. She'd want you to keep going… to ensure that nobody else suffered what she had suffered." She paused. "You're on your own now, Tony." She dropped him before she left.

"Are you crazy," Ross demanded as Natasha walked up the pile of rubble.

"No," she said slowly as she determinedly watched the Hulk. She left Ross as she continued on her walk.

"You're close enough to the point where he could touch you," he said angrily. Suddenly, Natasha's hand reached for the Hulk's face.

"Bruce," she said slowly. The Hulk looked at her in angry shock at first, but the look changed to understanding. She put her arms around his neck.

"Unbelievable," Ross said. "She is crazy… we have to come up with something else… quickly!"

The Hulk continued to stare at her in a daze. Finally, he put his arms around her. Suddenly, the sound of bullets in midair made both of them jump. The Hulk quickly left, leaving Natasha standing on top of the pile of rubble.

"Jarvis," Tony said. "I could really use some help…"

"I know that you could, sir."

"Do you still have that Iron Man emergency suit?"

"Well, I thought you'd never ask." Suddenly, Tony transformed into his alter ego. He flew towards his condo.

"What was that," Ross demanded as he and Natasha stood outside of SHIELD.

"Well," Natasha said. "I'm using reverse psychology. Banner has no reason to trust someone who's attacking him all of the time." She smiled at him.

"I underestimated you, Miss Romanoff."

"It's Mrs. Barton." She paused.

"Well, good day, Mrs. Barton." He left. Natasha looked concerned.

_"The company car… I'm impressed," Anne said to Harry._

_ "Well, Norman Osborn had to have the best."_

_ "Why doesn't that surprise me," she said sarcastically. She smiled._

Anne desperately tried to get her mind back on the merger.

_"I hope that this isn't the last I'll be seeing of you, Mr. Osborn," she said as she got into the car._

_ "It definitely won't be." He paused. "And please, Miss Toomes, call me Harry."_

_ "Only if you call me Anne. "She smiled at him. He smiled back._

"I hear that you're a desperate man, Ross."

"Not exactly."

"Then, why would you call me?"

"Well, it's because I'm a desperate man, Blonsky, and the word is that your imprisonment completely changed you."

"Please call me Emil, General." He smiled arrogantly.


	136. Blessing in Disguise

**Chapter Four**

_Blessing in Disguise_

Peter jumped as he heard something clink against the train. "I'm sure it's probably nothing," he said to Lauren. "I need to use the bathroom." He left.

"June, why in the world do you trust him," Lauren asked June. Suddenly, the window in the train was broken into. June and Lauren tried to race towards the next section of the train.

"Great," June said sarcastically as they noticed that their section of the train was disconnected.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Don't panic," Lauren said. "We'll think of something."

"How about jumping," June suggested.

"Probably not the best idea," Lauren responded sarcastically. Suddenly, she noticed something. "Are we accelerating?"

"It feels like it."

"Great… and where is Peter? Nowhere to be found. What a hero," Lauren said sarcastically.

"If only she knew," June said to herself.

Natasha was getting ready to pull into her driveway when something suddenly stopped her car. Suddenly, something crashed through her windshield. Suddenly, something pulled the assailant away from the car. "Bruce," she said in shock as he struggled against the assailant. As the assailant took off, she ran towards Bruce. "You're going to be okay," she said as he merged into human form.

"Try telling all of my enemies that," he lightly joked.

Anne smiled for a quick picture at the society banquet. "Word has it that you're a brilliant businesswoman…"

"Tony Stark… finally coming out of his cave," Anne responded. They started to dance together.

"Yeah, the whole hibernation thing didn't really work for me."

"I bet." She paused. "Your story's pretty infamous around here. The genius billionaire playboy suddenly turns into a still snarky do gooder, and then he disappears without a trace…"

"What about you," he asked. "You were one of the world's top rehab doctors… that job must've required a lot of patience."

"It did."

"Then, you disappear, and you come back as a successful businesswoman who only cares about mergers?"

"Well, that's what happens when everything that is important to you is suddenly taken away."

"Explain."

_"So, you're the infamous person that I've been hearing so much about," Michelle said to Harry. _

_ "Very funny," Anne responded._

_ "Trust me, Michelle, I've heard a lot about you as well," Harry responded._

_ "All good, I hope?"_

_ "Maybe, maybe not," Anne answered._

"Are you okay," Natasha? asked Bruce. "I know that there's not much in the refrigerator… it's just left overs…"

"Trust me; compared to what I've been experiencing recently, leftovers are great." He paused. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Jennifer Sanders…" She paused. "I'm a scientist."

"And, just out of curiosity, why do you trust me?"

"I've been in a similar situation to yours." She paused. "I've done some things that I regret, I've had everybody else going after me and one person stood up for me…" She paused again. "I've been grateful for him ever since."

"What happened to him?"

"He…" She paused. "He passed on."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"Thank you for letting me stay on the couch," he said. "Tomorrow, I'll be leaving…"

"So soon?" She paused. "Bruce, it's not safe for you out there."

"It's not safe for you here if I stay." He left.

_"So, what is the business handshake," Anne asked Harry._

_ "The typical handshake… strong and firm," he answered. "And, unfortunately, there's also the business wave…"_

_ "Let me guess," Michelle said. "It's like the royal elegant wave."_

_ "Yeah, but less formal. If you do the royal elegant wave, you'll never get the deal closed due to your business partner having a fear that you're insane."_

_ "Well, with you that would be a natural concern," Anne said jokingly. They smiled at each other._

"I don't need to explain it," Anne said slowly.

"Naturally… you have a tiara… so, you just assume that you're the queen and that you don't have to follow the requests of your peasants," Tony said.

"You're not a peasant, Tony Stark." She paused. "You're a slave."

"For now, anyway." He paused.

"And the tiara is a gift from my friend, Michelle." She paused. "She thought that it would be fun and that it would take my mind off of my troubles."

"Obviously, it didn't work."

"You're right…" She paused. "It didn't." Then, she left.

"What is that thing," Lauren asked as she saw someone in a green military suit.

"Well, he calls himself the Green Goblin." June paused. "Of course, that makes sense because he does have a ridiculous outfit."

"Yeah, but I think he's behind our troubles on the train…"

"You think…" Suddenly, the goblin laughed.

"Maniacal laugh," June said to herself sarcastically.

"Well, since we can't jump, what are we going to do?" Lauren paused as she looked at a box. "What are these things?"

"They're called pumpkin bombs," June answered. "They're one of the goblin's favorites."

"June…" Lauren paused. Suddenly, somebody came by the train. "Who is he?"

"Your personal lifeguard," she answered. "Although, in other parts of the country, he's known as Spider-Man." She paused. "A ridiculous name, but it fits a man in tights…"

"Grab onto my neck and hold on," he said. They grabbed onto his neck, and then, they left.

"I should leave tonight, actually," Bruce said.

"Are you sure," she asked.

"An overnight stay would definitely attract the attention of my enemies…" He started to leave. Suddenly, Natasha/Jennifer touched him on the arm.

"Bruce…" She paused. "Don't be a stranger."

"I'm not always in control of how I can visit… or when." She nodded in understanding. He left.

"Thank you for meeting me for dinner," Ross said to Natasha.

"No problem." She paused. "Don't worry, general, in no time, we will find Banner."

"Do you know where he is?"

"He's in…" She thought for a minute. "London. I should stay here on the home front in case he decides to come back…"

"Good idea."

"Hi everyone," Peter announced as he ran towards June and Lauren. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not much," June said sarcastically.

"Where were you," Lauren demanded.

"I was in the snack car," he answered. "Now is not the time for impatience." He paused. "Wait… this isn't our stop? Why aren't both of you on the train," he asked.

"Let's just say…" June paused. "I hope you like walking."

"We didn't have enough fare?"

"Something of that nature," she responded sarcastically.


	137. Deceit and Nothingness

**Chapter Five**

_Deceit and Nothingness _

"Stop," Lauren announced as she, June and Peter walked on the bridge.

"What's wrong, Lauren," June asked.

"I can't do this." Lauren paused. "I'm not an actress… I never was." She left. Peter just stood there.

"Go over there and talk to her," June said with annoyance as she gently hit Peter. He walked towards her.

"Lauren, you are meant to be an actress…"

"How do you know?"

"When you were younger, you constantly felt like you needed to wear this mask to hide your feelings…"

"That sounds like me," she said flatly.

"However, somebody inspired you to stop wearing that mask…"

"I remember…" She paused. "That person was you."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"I mean…" Lauren paused. "I mean, it could've been you, but how could it… who knows?" She paused as she thought about what he said. "I'm ready."

"Great," June said. "Because we're only halfway there…"

Anne frowned as she watched a business meeting from her secret window. "Mrs. Osborn is trying to be too much of a powerhouse by herself. Not only that, but her last name is hurting her. No one wants to be associated with the Osborn name after all of the urban legends and rumors…"

"Anne would never change her name," Michelle hopelessly explained. "Harry meant a lot to her…"

"But he's gone," the board member protested. "If things don't improve, I'm going to have to shut down the company… your friend is impacting her own well-being…"

"Which is why she's planning on marrying Andrew Jones…"

"She's going to marry Jones?"

"What," Anne exclaimed in shock. "Michelle…"

"Why, that would save the company! Jones is a brilliant business mind who also has a great reputation!"

"Exactly," Michelle said weakly. Anne angrily ran off.

Jennifer/Natasha was preparing her new work desk. Suddenly, she came across a picture of Clint. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you like you were there for me," she said silently. She tried to look at her computer screen to think about something else, but she couldn't. She looked at the picture of Clint again.

"I'm following your instructions." The voice made her jump. "You're the one who told me not to be a stranger."

"Bruce," she said as she turned around. She forced a smile. "You don't strike me as the type who would follow somebody else's instructions…"

"Normally I'm not," Bruce explained. "However, I've been missing the laboratory…"

"So have I." Suddenly, somebody else walked in.

"Do you work here," he asked Natasha.

"Uh, I'm new here." She paused. "I'm Jennifer Sanders and he's Eric Edward Ruffalo." She pointed to Bruce. "Oh, would you look at the time! It's lunch break already! C'mon, Eric," she said as she tugged him on the arm. They left.

"Eric Edward Ruffalo," Bruce asked jokingly.

"It's the best that I could do on short notice," she explained.

"Would you explain to me what that was all about," Anne asked as she walked into Michelle's private conference room.

"Anne…" She paused. "You have to move on… for your sake. Harry would want you to be happy."

"Harry wouldn't want this," Anne exclaimed as she crossed her arms.

"Harry wouldn't want you to be what you are right now. You're a constant workaholic…"

"I'm trying to make a living. I think that you would appreciate that."

"Normally, I would." She paused. "However, you're killing yourself by trying to make a living… and we're barely breaking even." Michelle paused again. "Andrew is an excellent businessman who wants to help you. He's not going to break his word. This marriage would be excellent for the business."

"Nobody can ever replace Harry," Anne said as she slouched.

"I know…" She paused. "However, Harry would want you to be happy again." She put her arm around Anne. "Let's go for a walk." They left.

"So," Jennifer/Natasha said as she walked out of her house in a turtleneck sweater with jeans. "Did I ever mention how much more comfortable casual clothes are?"

"Definitely more comfortable," Bruce responded. "What happened to…?" He paused.

"What happened to the guy who helped me," she asked.

"Yes…"

"You're not going to believe me."

"I'm a guy who has unbelievable temper tantrums which turn me into an enormous green monster. Try me. I've heard everything." They laughed slightly.

"Well," Jennifer/Natasha said as she sat in front of a tree. "He was trying to protect the world from this madman… This madman took over my soul… and…" She paused as her eyes started to water. "I killed him while I was under the influence of this madman." She paused again. "When I became myself again, I could never forgive myself."

"I know exactly how you feel." He paused. "Everybody blamed me for Betty's murder, however, nothing could punish me like the blame I put on myself." He paused again. "It felt like someone… somehow… had made my tantrums worse… a lot worse… to the point where I would murder somebody I loved in cold blood."

"I guess we're more similar than we thought." She paused. "Both of us are misunderstood loners who have nothing in life except for…"

"Each other." They looked at each other.

"Anne," Andrew said as they sat down on a bench. "I'm so happy that you agreed to marry me." Anne forced a smile. "I promise I will try my best to be the perfect husband for you."

"I know you will," she said. They hugged. Anne looked at Michelle with doubt.

_"So nice to have some time off," Michelle said to Anne as they were about to explore San Francisco._

_ "See, you can no longer tell me that I'm a workaholic." Suddenly, a car pulled up._

_ "Uninvited guest," Michelle asked._

_ "Harry's going with us," Anne explained._

_ "So, from what I hear," Harry said as he got out of the car. "San Francisco is quite the jungle."_

_ "Hey, it's definitely better than working."_

_ "Well, that's for sure." They smiled at each other._

Natasha kicked one of her Russian captors. "You know," she said as she fought another captor. "There's a little known secret about me…"

"What is that," they asked.

"I used to be Russian," she said as she put her arms around his neck. Swiftly, she threw him to the ground. She looked at the third captor. "Nice chair," she said as she picked up the chair that she had been held captive in. As he lunged towards her, she knocked him out using the chair. "Really high quality as well," she said sarcastically. Suddenly, her phone rang.

"How is work going," Agent Phil Coulson asked.

"The interrogation went well." She paused. "I have enough information on them to keep them locked up for years." She paused again. "Also, it's nice to go back to my chin-length short red hair after wearing a long dark brown wig for several days for another mission."

"Well, we have a bigger problem."

"What is that?"

"I need you to go after Banner."

"The Hulk," Natasha asked hesitantly.

"Yes…" He paused. "Don't worry; we'll have you surrounded with armed forces when you meet him."

"It's not that." She paused.

"What is it, then?"

"Nothing." She paused. "Nothing at all." She looked worried.


	138. Double Life

**Chapter Six**

_Double Life_

Anne tried to force a smile as she and Andrew announced their engagement. "Are you sure that you're ready to get married again," Andrew asked in doubt.

"Of course," Anne said as she forced a smile. They waved to their audience.

Jennifer/Natasha hesitantly opened up the door. "Bruce… you do realize that it's 7 in the morning, right?"

"I know." He paused. "It's just that…" He paused again. "Jennifer, when Betty passed away, I thought that…" Suddenly, the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it," Jennifer/Natasha explained. "Hide in the basement." Bruce ran towards the basement as Jennifer/Natasha nervously toyed with a button on her blouse.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"I can't believe that you agreed to this," Anne exclaimed to Michelle as she slouched by a wall pillar.

"Why not," Michelle said as she sat down.

"I don't know… it's just that Tony Stark and I…. Tony and I…" Anne raised her hair in frustration. "I don't know."

"Tony is an excellent businessman who has gone into recluse mode over the past couple of years." Michelle paused. "He wants to help the company, Anne. He needed a place to stay…"

"So, you agreed to let him stay at my house?"

"Well, I thought that you wouldn't object. That guest room has been barren for years…"

"Michelle," Anne groaned. Suddenly, they heard a car pull up.

"He's here," Michelle said cautiously. She started to head towards the door.

Bruce stood in the basement while he waited for Jennifer. "Mr. Banner," somebody said as they walked in. Bruce jumped slightly.

"What did you do to her," he said angrily.

"Who," she asked innocently.

"Jennifer Sanders… the scientist who answered the door."

"Oh, her… we took her to her laboratory in case you became out of control."

"Who are you, anyway," Bruce demanded.

"Natasha…" She paused.

"Let me guess…" He paused. "You work for SHIELD, who's working for General Ross, who wants to use me as his guinea pig…"

"Not exactly," she said as she wrapped her blue sash around her blue dress. "I do work for SHIELD, but we're not connected with General Ross…"

"But, you have this place surrounded with his forces, in case I… say, have a temper tantrum?"

"Quite possibly," she said smoothly as she sat down.

"Why are you here," he asked.

"I want you to join our team."

"I don't think I would be an excellent spy…"

"Not that team." She paused. "The other one."

"Would I be a protagonist or an antagonist…"

"Doctor…" She paused. "We need your help. You would be on our side and we would…"

"You would keep me imprisoned," he yelled angrily. She quickly pulled out her gun.

"Natasha," Bruce said slowly. "Calm down… I was only kidding…" He paused again. "I shouldn't have…"

"Neither should I," she answered.

"What do you mean?"

"The chamber is empty," she said as she showed him the gun.

"You shouldn't have," Lauren said as Peter handed her a blue dress.

"I didn't." He paused. "It's one of your acting outfits."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "Thanks."

"You're uh welcome." He paused. "I'll see you later." He left.

"Anne Osborn, Tony Stark. Tony Stark, Anne Osborn," Michelle said as she introduced them.

"We've already met," Anne said coldly.

"I see that your heart of ice hasn't melted yet," Tony remarked sarcastically. "And yet, you expect the rest of the world to move on with their tragedies because you're doing enough suffering for all of us." Suddenly, Anne pushed him to the ground. She abruptly left. "I must say that that was the most interesting business meeting that I've ever had," Tony said as Michelle helped him stand up.

"That I've ever seen," Michelle said. "Don't worry about her, she'll be okay." She paused. "I need to go after her." She left.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to change into more comfortable clothes, Doctor," a jean clad Natasha said as she walked with him to Jennifer's lab.

"Thank you for accompanying me, even though it really wasn't necessary."

"Oh, it is with your reputation," she said sarcastically. "I'll go into the laboratory first and Jennifer will call you when she's ready for you to come into the laboratory." She left.

"You know, Lauren," June said as they stood on the deck of the boat. "Partner dancing is involved in your next role, so…" She paused. "Parker, come over here." Peter walked towards them.

"Are you kidding me," he asked June.

"Are you kidding me," she asked. "I'd never thought that we'd become this desperate…" Lauren and Peter started to dance.

"Listen," Lauren began. "You don't have to do this."

"No, I want to." He paused.

"Were you ever in love before," she asked. "I'm sorry, that's personal and…"

"Yes…"

"What happened?"

"She passed away…"

"I'm so sorry," Lauren said as she cringed. "I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay," Peter said quickly. "I was in love one other time…"

"What happened…?" She paused. "I'm almost afraid to ask."

"She forgot who I was." Peter paused as Lauren stared at him for a minute. "What?"

"It's impossible." They stopped dancing. "I need some air." She left.

"Epic fail, my boy," June said as she walked towards him. "Epic fail."

Anne was eating ice cream with annoyance when Michelle walked into the room. "I'm sorry," Anne began.

"I'm not here to demand an apology," Michelle said. "I want to show you something that I did for you a long time ago… I just wasn't brave enough to show it to you until now…" They left.

Jennifer/Natasha cringed as the elevator door opened. "Emil… let me guess, Ross sent you here to check up on me?"

"He sent me here to check your sanity." He paused. "If you were truly devoted to this mission, Natasha, you would've turned Banner in a long time ago…" He paused. "A true soldier never lets emotions get into his way."

"Trust me, Blonsky, I'm not." She paused. "If I were, I would've gone into a snake pit rather than stand with you, someone whose reactions are worse than Banner…"

"Good point." He paused. "Watch your back, Barton, before somebody stabs you." He left. Jennifer/Natasha slouched in the elevator.

"This is…" Anne was at a loss for words as she looked at the memorial wall of Harry. "Amazing," she said as tears started to come to her eyes.

"You're welcome," Michelle said. "I meant to give it to you before, it just never felt like the right time…" Michelle paused as she watched Anne touch a picture of Harry.

_"Man, boy, you're a hopeless mess," Michelle said to Harry._

_ "Is that obvious?"_

_ "It's very obvious," Michelle said. She smiled. "But my question is, why are you standing here with me?" They watched as Anne sat down by a fountain._

_ "Good point." Harry walked over towards Anne. "I never thought that I would see you relax…"_

_ "I never thought that about you, Osborn," she said. Michelle smiled as she watched them._

"Jennifer," Bruce said as he walked into her laboratory. "I was so worried about you!" He hugged her. "Natasha said that she had delivered you to your lab, but how can you…"

"How can you trust a spy," Jennifer/Natasha asked. She smiled, however, the smile quickly turned to a frown because she knew that while he loved her as Jennifer, he could never love her as Natasha.

"What do you think about…?" Lauren paused.

"Peter," June asked.

"Yeah…"

"A slightly weird boy, but I think he has a good heart." She paused. "He does know how to dance."

"That he does," Lauren, laughed.


	139. Untold Secrets

**Chapter Seven**

_ Untold Secrets_

Natasha swiftly landed on the ground of Ross' military headquarters. Her head jerked around as she heard something. Probably the cleaners, but nobody could be too sure. Like a cheetah, she crawled across the floor towards Ross' military classified files. As she swiftly punched in the code, she wondered if she would find any information on Bruce.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Lauren started to sleepwalk in the boat as a storm rocked the boat. "Mary Jane," he asked.

"Ben…" She paused. "Where am I?"

"This is our wedding reception." He paused. "I feel like I'm the luckiest man alive."

"That is so cliché," she said with a groan.

"Maybe, but it's true." He paused. "I'm going to have the opportunity to travel the world with the one I love the most." They kissed.

Peter knocked on the door in a panic. "Peter," June complained as she answered the door. "Do you have any idea what hour of the night it is?"

"I know," he said impatiently. "Where's MJ? I think that's something's wrong…"

"Don't be ridiculous, boy," June said. "See," she said as she pointed to the floor. "She's right…" She paused. "There." Nobody was there. "What happened?"

"I don't know." He paused. "However, I'm going to find out."

"Peter…" She paused. "Be careful out there. There's a storm outside."

"Something tells me that there's more than one storm." He left.

Anne was working on the merger on the steps of her staircase when she stopped to look at her engagement ring.

_"I told you to get off of the bleachers before it started to rain," Harry said sarcastically._

_ "You always have to be right, don't you," she asked equally sarcastically._

_ "Pretty much," he said as he put up an umbrella. "I'll help you." He grabbed her hand and together, they walked down the stairs._

"You don't seem to be the type who would be easily distracted by some bling on her finger," he said as he walked into the room.

"I'm not," she said quickly. "Stark." She looked at him with annoyance.

"So, isn't that merger taking forever and a day?"

"Well," she said as she started to get up. "It's difficult to plan a wedding and a merger at the same time."

"I bet." He paused as she started to leave.

"You've probably never had to plan more than one event in your life, have you?"

"Not yet." He paused. "I consider myself lucky that way."

"I bet you do." She paused. "You probably have some business of your own to contend with?"

"Not really." He paused.

"Then, please leave me alone." She started to walk up one flight of stairs. He started to walk up the other staircase. She glared at him.

"Following orders really isn't my style…"

"Ugh!"

"So," Michelle asked Andrew. "How are things going with Anne?"

"Not that well, actually," he answered. "She misses Harry a lot and…"

"I know." She paused. "This isn't going to be easy…"

"Michelle…" He paused. "You shouldn't give up your own happiness for your friend's happiness… Anne and I…"

"Anne and you are going to be great together," she said.

"She doesn't love me." He paused. "I don't love her," he said as he touched Michelle's face.

"You will love each other… in time."

"I hope so." He paused. "There's karaoke night tonight at the coffee club." He paused. "Do you want to get out of Anne's workaholic mode and go with me tonight?"

"Yes…" She paused. "But as friends… only as friends." They left.

Major Kathleen Cabot looked at Ross. "Mrs. Barton is in your office now."

"Good." He paused. "I need to have a little talk with her."

"Why do I get the feeling that it's going to be more than a little talk," she asked.

"She invaded my privacy," he answered. "Not only that, but she went through classified information that could potentially be detrimental to the military…" He left.

Peter couldn't believe his eyes. Mary Jane was getting ready to jump overboard in the midst of a storm. "Mary Jane," he yelled. Suddenly, he remembered. "Lauren!" However, she ignored him and continued to lean towards the sea.

As Ross entered into his office, the back of his chair was turned towards him. "Hello, General," Natasha said as she spun around. "This is a pleasant surprise…"

"What are you doing in my chair?"

"I was tired of waiting for you, so, I decided to make myself at home. I didn't think that you would mind."

"Mrs. Barton…" He paused. "You don't strike me as the type who would turn herself in…"

"I'm not." She paused.

"Then, why are you here?"

"To negotiate with you and to get my unanswered questions answered." She paused. "You never told me that Banner was a failed science experiment of yours…"

"That's classified information," he said angrily.

"No wonder you were trying to lock him up."

"I was trying to lock him up for my daughter's sake."

"Somehow, I don't believe that." She paused. "General, you've been chasing Banner several years before Betty's death…"

"He's a menace to the public."

"No, what he really is…" She paused. "Is a menace to your reputation." She stood up. "Good day, General." She left.

"Why are you marrying him," Tony asked.

"To make Michelle happy and make her stop worrying about me," she answered flippantly.

"Still, you know that you can never love him." He paused. "For you, it's impossible."

"I see…" She paused. "So, the man with the revolving night stand is giving me love advice?" She paused again. "That's a great help," she said sarcastically.

"I'm not that person anymore."

"You weren't that person." She paused. "I'm worried that you're changing into that person again…" She left.

"You know," Michelle said to Andrew as they danced. "This was a great idea." She paused. "Ever since Harry died, Anne's been totally devoted to her work… too devoted, if you ask me…"

"I agree with you." He paused.

"All I want is for her to be happy again."

"At the risk of losing your own happiness?"

"I never said that I loved you," she said jokingly. Suddenly, he kissed her. She quickly pulled away. "Anne was… and will always be… one of my top priorities," she said as she quickly left.

"Lauren," Peter said gently as he tried to get her back on the boat. Suddenly, she started to scream. As she tried to fight him, he tried to calm her down. "It's me… Peter…"

"Peter," she said wearily. "You're going to think that I'm insane…"

"What happened," he asked.

"This guy… Warren… he…" She paused. "He tried to kill me." She hugged him.

"It's going to be okay," Peter said quickly. However, he was concerned.


	140. Misunderstood Betrayals

**Chapter Eight**

_Misunderstood Betrayals_

Peter and June walked nervously outside of Mary Jane's agent's house. "What if he thinks that she's going crazy or something," Peter asked.

"I don't know," June sighed. "She did insist that her name was Lauren while he insisted that it was Mary Jane…"

"Good point." Suddenly, Lauren happily raced out of the house.

"I'm going to be in a play!" She paused. "Night Tragedy."

"Congratulations," Peter said. "What is the role?"

"Gwen Stacy Parker," she said happily.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Gwen…" He paused.

"That's right, Gwen Stacy Parker."

"I…" He paused. "I have to go." He left. Lauren looked at June.

"What's wrong?"

"Gwen Stacy Parker was his wife," June answered. "Before she…"

"I'm so sorry…" Lauren paused as she sat down. "I had no idea."

"I know," June said as she sat down by her. They hugged.

Anne looked at Michelle as if she were crazy. "You want me to ride a horse to dedicate our new business building?"

"Why not," Michelle asked. "It would be a good publicity move."

"You're right," Anne said. "I better get ready." She left.

Jennifer/Natasha looked concerned as she walked into the laboratory. An angry Bruce was standing by Emil. "What's going on," she tried to ask casually.

"Emil is being ridiculous," he said. "He's insisting that you're somebody that you're not…" He looked at Emil. "Why should I have any reason to believe you?"

"You have as much reason to believe me as you have to believe her."

"Bruce…" She paused. "Let's not get things out of control here, okay?"

"There's no need to," Emil said as he removed her wig. Bruce looked at her in horror.

"Natasha?"

"Bruce, I'm so sorry…" She paused. "I had no idea…"

"She's been working with Ross this entire time…" Emil paused. "They wanted to capture you."

"I thought that you were a cold blooded murderer…" She paused. "I had no idea that Betty's death impacted you the way that it did and I had no idea that Ross had been chasing you long before Betty's death…"

"How dare you," he asked. "You've always had a reputation, but this…" He paused. "Don't even pretend like you care because I know that you don't. If you did, you would've been brave enough to tell me yourself." He angrily left.

As Anne picked out her saddle, she looked sad. "What's wrong," Michelle asked.

"The last time I rode a horse was with Harry," she said. "Right before the infamous dinner…"

_"You're beautiful," Harry said as Anne walked down the steps._

_ "Well…" Anne paused. "You have to be presentable for a business dinner…"_

_ "Please just accept the compliment, for once."_

_ "Okay," Anne said. "I will… for once." She smiled at him._

_ "Thank you for coming tonight," Anne said as everyone sat down. Anne and Harry held hands. "Our partnership with the Intelech Corporation is going to be…" Suddenly, shots rang out. "Are you okay," Harry asked Anne breathlessly. _

_ "Yes…" Anne paused. "Are you?"_

_ "Yes…"_

_ "Harry," Michelle said as she walked towards them. "The shooter left a note." The note read RIP, Anne._

"It wasn't her fault, Peter," June pleaded. "She didn't know…"

"I know." Peter paused. "It's just difficult…"

"I know that it is." June paused. "She's not going to take the role…"

"Thank her for me."

"Why don't you?" She paused. "I talked her into having a night on the town so that she could forget about upsetting you…"

"Let's go," Peter said. They left.

Jennifer/Natasha was sadly looking through a microscope at a specimen when Ross walked into the room. "I did it for your own good," he said.

"No," she said sharply as she turned away from the microscope. "You did it for your own good."

"Listen…" He paused. "I know you're upset…"

"You're right… I am upset." She paused as she looked at him angrily. "You always told me all along that the only reason why you were going after him was Betty…" She paused. "I wish I could believe that, but I can't. You've been going after him long before Betty passed away… you only care about him because he's a reminder of your own failures as a general."

"Do you know where he's going," he asked her solemnly.

"I don't know." She paused as she put on a jean jacket over her blouse. "However, it's better than whatever you had planned for him." She left.

Anne solemnly rode on the horse as she passed through the outdoor entryway of her new business building. Suddenly, she noticed that Tony was there. She frowned slightly as she continued on her way. As she noticed Michelle's hopeful face, shots rang out. As Anne tried desperately to calm down herself and her horse, Tony pulled Anne off her horse and onto his horse. They took off.

Peter looked at June as they watched Mary Jane dance with one of her fellow actors. "We can never be together," Peter, lamented.

"Why not," June asked.

"It's for her protection." He paused. "Every minute, she's with me, she's in danger…"

"You could always face that danger together…"

"What if I lose her?"

"What if she loses you?"

"That's why we can't be together." He paused. "Both of us have lost the one we love the most. We can't take that risk again." Suddenly, they heard her scream. "What happened?"

"We're going to find her, Peter, I promise you that," June said as they left.

Tony carried Anne into the stable. "Are you okay," he asked.

"Yes…" She paused. "That was very heroic of you, considering your reputation and all…" She looked at him intriguingly; however, she quickly stopped.

"Well, I built a reputation that I'm quite proud of." He paused. "Is there any reason why anyone would be trying to bring your demise sooner than it needs to be?"

"I don't know," she said as her eyes watered. "Somebody has been determined to kill me ever since I met Harry…"

"An in-law possibly," he joked.

"Very funny," she said as she laughed slightly.

"Anne, if you need anything, I will be there for you."

"Somehow, I doubt that," she said. "Michelle's here." She left.

Peter, as Spider-Man, watched in horror as Mary Jane fell from the Eiffel Tower. "Don't just stand there, my boy," June said in annoyance. "Do something!" He swung through the air until he met Mary Jane in midair.

"You…" She paused. "I know you somehow… from somewhere…"

"You've probably heard of me," he said as he took her to where June was. He left.

"Do we know each other," Lauren asked June about Spider-Man.

"Yes and no," June responded.

Jennifer/Natasha adjusted the sleeves of her red turtleneck as she lied down on the couch. She sadly looked at a picture of Bruce.

"Sorry, that I'm late," Peter said as he joined Lauren and June in one of the Eiffel Tower's elevators.

"Don't let it happen again," June joked.

"Isn't Paris one of the most romantic places in the world," Lauren asked. June looked hopefully at Peter.

"Yes… yes it is," Peter responded.


	141. Difficult Situations

**Chapter Nine**

_Difficult Situations_

"Tony Stark," Michelle said as Tony opened the door.

"Who are you," he asked.

"I'm Michelle Moscovitz," she answered. "I'm Anne's best friend." She paused. "I'm here because I know about your plans to try to include Anne in the Alliance…"

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Let me guess," Tony said as they sat down at his table. "You're here to talk me out of it…"

"I am." Michelle paused. "It's too dangerous. If Anne became hurt… could you ever forgive yourself…?"

"That's a risk that everybody in the Alliance takes."

"Who's everybody?"

"Well, technically just me for the moment. One of the members has gone MIA because of his love interest and one of the members turned into some delusional creature…"

"It sounds like all of you are lost souls."

"Thank you so much for the compliment," he said sarcastically.

"Look, I don't want to see Anne hurt by this…"

"What if she's hurt by something else and she never lives up to her potential," he asked. Michelle looked at him thoughtfully.

"I'm going to leave tonight," Peter told June as they stood outside of the theatre.

"Why," June asked. "Everything has been going so great…"

"I can't put her through the same risk again." He paused. "I can't tell her…"

"Can't tell me what," Lauren asked as she walked towards them. Her blue dress shined against the night sky.

"How beautiful you look tonight," Peter responded. June rolled her eyes slightly.

Natasha slowly woke up from the sedative. "Where am I," she asked groggily. All she remembered was that she was on a mission for SHIELD in her signature blue jumpsuit when… She couldn't remember.

"I don't know," Bruce, answered angrily. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"No," she answered quickly. "Why would I tie both of us to the ground?"

"Who knows what goes on in your head," he said angrily.

"Wait a second…" She paused. "Emil… he did this… He wants you to…" She paused as she watched him struggle against his constraints. "Bruce, calm down. I promise you… I will figure out a way to get us out of this…" She struggled against her constraints.

"Why should I trust you," he asked angrily. "If we ever become freed, you're just going to arrest me or kill me, whichever one is more convenient for you."

"Bruce…" She paused. "You have to trust me. I would never do that to you." She paused. "Right now, my life is as important as your life…"

"Your life?" He paused. "I suppose with your reputation as the infamous Black Widow, you murdered Clint on your wedding day…"

"That isn't what happened," she pleaded. "I loved Clint…"

"You can't love anyone," he said angrily.

"Bruce…" She paused as her eyes stared to water. "Please believe me… Ross lied to me… I thought he wanted to avenge his daughter, not his failed science experiment…" She paused again. "I didn't think that I would ever be saying this again after Clint, but…" She paused. "I love you, Bruce."

"I suppose that you told Clint that same lie as well," he said angrily. "Right now, Natasha, I'm more concerned about my own life than yours…" He paused. "Your life," he said angrily. Natasha broke her restraints as he started to transform.

"Nice garden party isn't it," Anne awkwardly asked Andrew.

"Yes, it is," he answered.

"Well, as everybody knows, it's not a party until I'm here," Tony said as he walked towards them.

"Stark," Anne said flippantly.

"Osborn," Tony said as flippantly.

"Could you leave Tony and me alone for a couple of minutes," Anne asked Andrew and Michelle. "We have to talk some things over…"

"Sure," Michelle said. She and Andrew left.

"Why are you here," Anne angrily asked.

"I love garden parties," he said sarcastically.

"You don't seem to be the garden party type."

"Neither do you."

"It's good for business." She paused.

"Oh, and so is your upcoming doomed to fail loveless marriage," he asked. He started to walk away from her.

"Now I see how you got your reputation," she said angrily as she followed him.

June handed a note to Peter while the play was going on. _You're making a huge mistake._ Peter looked at it before he wrote something back.

_It would be an even worse mistake if I stayed._ June looked at the note before she looked at Peter sadly. Then, they looked at Lauren as she happily watched the play.

Natasha hid behind one of the pillars of the factory. The sound of footsteps made her jump a little. "Natasha, can I talk to you for a second?" Phil's voice came through one of her bracelets.

"Now's not the best time," she said quietly.

"Why not?" Suddenly, the Hulk destroyed the pillar. Natasha quickly ran out of the pillar's landing ground. She quickly jumped onto a bridge that connected both sides of the building. "You're right," Phil said.

"I'm not marrying Andrew for the business deal," Anne said. "I'm marrying him because I…"

"You know," Tony began. "When you can't even say that you love someone, you definitely don't love them."

"What makes you an expert on love, Tony Stark?"

"Like you said," Tony said quickly as he noticed that something was flying through the air towards Anne. "I have a reputation." He kissed her, then, he quickly pushed both of them into the pool.

"Tony," Anne said angrily as she climbed out of the pool. "Do me a favor and avoid for me the rest of your life."

"That's kind of harsh, isn't it," he asked. She left. As he climbed out of the pool, he grabbed the object that was headed towards her. "Funny… it's not even Halloween yet," he said as he investigated the pumpkin-shaped dagger. He pocketed it so that he could investigate it further later on.

Peter and June waited for Lauren in the lobby. She was going to go backstage to meet her agent, however, when she came back, she looked anything but happy. "You lied to me," she exclaimed to Peter.

"What are you talking about," Peter asked wearily.

"You accompanied me on this trip just so you could receive some of my fame and fortune," she exclaimed.

"Lauren…" He paused.

"How dare you," June exclaimed.

"June," he asked in shock.

"Of all of the people in the world, I never would've expected it from Peter Parker. Let's go, Lauren." They started to leave.

"Wait," Peter said. "Where did you learn this information from?"

"Norman Osborn, the successful businessman," Lauren answered. They left as Peter stood there in shock.

Natasha ran on the bridge towards the exit. She started to panic. "It's locked!"

"Listen, I need you to go back on the bridge a little ways," Phil said.

"That's not the best idea."

"It's not… right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at one of your bracelets."

"Phil now's not the best time to talk about jewelry…"

"It is." He paused. "Throw one of the bracelets towards the exit."

"Are you sure," Natasha asked fearfully.

"Throw and stand back!" Natasha threw the bracelet towards the exit, and she ran away from the exit. She cringed as the Hulk started to race towards her. Suddenly, the exit opened. "Thanks," she said as she ran out. "But what about…" As the Hulk tried to get through the exit, the exit exploded.

"What did I tell you," Phil asked.

"Phil," she exclaimed. "It didn't…"

"Don't worry, Natasha, he's still alive." Phil paused. "It just stunned the Hulk, so, hopefully, he'll go back to his human form… for now."

Anne rolled her eyes as she lied on the couch. "Michelle, this wasn't my fault… Do I think that I want this attention from Tony Stark?"

"No…" Michelle paused. "Just be more careful for Andrew's sake." Anne rolled her eyes before she left. "And for my sake," Michelle said quietly.

"Why did you betray me like that," Peter asked June as June got into her car. Mary Jane had gone to the bathroom.

"Look, Peter," June said impatiently. "If I sided with you, she wouldn't trust me either. We need one of us for her to trust since Norman lied to her. You don't want her to go with him, do you?"

"No." He paused.

"Also, this incident with Norman convinced me." June paused. "Both of you can't be together. It's too dangerous for her." She closed the door.

Mary Jane was looking through pictures at June's house. "Liz," Mary Jane exclaimed as she looked at a picture of Liz and Ned on their wedding day.

"Lauren…" June paused. "You remember?"

"I remember Liz…" She paused as she looked at a wedding day group picture. "I don't remember anybody else."

"Oh." June paused.

The next morning, June knocked on Peter's apartment door. "I'm sorry, Peter." June paused. "Both of you belong together. I never should've tried to distance you away because of Norman…"

"No, you were right." He paused as he started to leave. "We don't belong together. It's too dangerous for her."

"Peter…" She paused. "Everybody needs companionship… even heroes." She paused as he said nothing before he left. Suddenly, June smiled… She had an idea…


	142. More than Heroic

**Chapter Ten**

_More than Heroic_

Lauren watched from the curtain as audience members started to pile in. "You wish that Peter was here, don't you?" She turned around. It was June.

"No… and why would I ever wish for _that_?"

"You can't lie to me, you know that." June smiled. "He wasn't after the fame and fortune, Lauren."

"He tricked us, June."

"No…" She paused. "Somebody else tricked you." June left. Lauren thought about what she had said.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Jennifer/Natasha raced into Ross' office. "What are you doing here," he asked. "Your work here is done…"

"I know." She paused. "What happened to him," she demanded.

"Why are you dressed like that? The gig is up, Natasha. He knows that you're not Jennifer Sanders…"

"I'm dressed like this because he trusted Jennifer Sanders; he didn't trust Natasha Romanoff Barton."

"He apparently had good reason not to."

"What did you do to him," she asked.

"Come with me," he answered. He led her to a room where the window was covered up with blinds. As Ross released the blinds, Jennifer/Natasha was horrified to see that Bruce was being held captive in the room. "I'm finally going to get justice for Betty," he said.

As Anne and Michelle were riding to their publicity parade, Tony joined them. "Wow," he said sarcastically. "This is a great… waste of money."

"What are you talking about," Anne asked with annoyance.

"Shouldn't you be doing something more productive with your money," he asked. "Something that would help out the public more… something more, for lack of a better word, heroic, maybe?"

"I don't need you telling me how to spend my money," she said.

"I'm not." Tony paused. "However," he began. "They might want me to tell you how to spend your money." He pointed to an orphanage.

"I'll…" Anne sighed. "I'll be back." She left.

"What is she doing," Andrew asked.

"Embracing her destiny," Michelle said. She unconsciously held Andrew's hand; however, she quickly pulled away.

After the play, Lauren said goodbye to all of her well-wishers and she walked into the garden. She needed sometime to be alone. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her…

"Betty…" Jennifer/Natasha paused. "Betty wouldn't want this," she said frantically.

"She would now," Ross said.

"It wasn't his fault," Jennifer/Natasha begged. She tried the door. "It's locked!"

"Of course it is." Suddenly, Jennifer/Natasha hit the window with her elbow. "Are you crazy," Ross asked as she unlocked the door through the window.

"Are you," she said as she walked into the room.

Anne walked back towards them, smiling. "Michelle, we're going to work on a new home for the orphans and this parade is going to be centered on the orphans, with all of the proceeds going towards the orphans."

"Now, we're talking," Tony, said happily.

Lauren jumped slightly as she heard a voice. "Remember Ben Reilly, Mary Jane?" The floor started to break under her feet as she started to remember. "Norman," she asked.

"That is one of my aliases," he answered as he appeared in the goblin outfit.

"Bruce," she asked as she walked into the room.

"Why should I…"

"I'm here to help you." She paused. "I'm not going to run out of fear this time. I'm staying with you."

"Even if they…"

"They're going to have to kill me before they kill you." She paused as she started to loosen his restraints.

"She is crazy," Emil said as he stood by Ross. "I'm going to stop her before she can help him any further…" He showed Ross a sedative.

"Lauren," Peter, as Spider-Man, asked as he swung towards her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said as she struggled to hold onto the collapsing wall. She quickly looked at the sea that she was in danger of falling into. "Except for one thing." She paused. "I'm not Lauren, anymore, Peter. I remember… I remember everything!" Suddenly, her hand slipped off the gravel. She screamed as Peter dove after her. "Peter," she said as he caught her. "Our troubles aren't over yet," she said as she pointed to the collapsing wall. Peter quickly swung a web towards one of the pillars of the theatre. As they left, the wall collapsed.

Anne smiled as she presented her blueprints of the new home for the orphans. "And so, this is the product that I can honestly say that I am the most proud of…" She smiled again.

As Jennifer/Natasha helped Bruce to his feet, Emil inserted the sedative into her neck. "Blonsky," Ross yelled angrily.

"Natasha," Bruce said worriedly as she started to fall to the ground.

"Bruce," she said wearily.

"Did I mention that it wasn't your normal sedative," Emil asked.

"What do you mean," Ross asked worriedly. Emil smiled.

"Congratulations," Tony said as Michelle and Anne walked together. "You're finally living up to your potential…"

"Very funny," Anne said.

"No, Anne, in all seriousness…" He paused. "You have the potential to be heroic…"

"Yeah, except for the whole spandex and tights thing," she said sarcastically.

"There's always more than one definition of heroic," he reminded her. He smiled before he left.

Mary Jane and Peter hugged. Suddenly, Mary Jane noticed that the goblin was planning on throwing a pumpkin shaped dagger towards Peter. As she quickly threw her shoe towards the goblin's head, June appeared. "I always thought that the term Green Goblin was a ridiculous name for a villain," June said sarcastically.

"Harry," Norman said slowly.

"Harry wouldn't want his father to be like this," Mary Jane said.

"Harry wouldn't want his friends to betray him," he responded. He started to throw a tube of green liquid towards them.

"That's the formula that made him turn into what he was," Peter said in a panic. Suddenly, June crushed the tube with her foot.

"I hate it when that happens," June said sarcastically.

"I will avenge my son," Norman said angrily before he left.

"Yeah, but what if your son never wanted to be avenged," June said quietly.

"What is in that sedative, Blonsky," Ross asked angrily.

"It's the same substance that Banner unknowingly ate on his chicken at his wedding day reception," he responded with a smile.

"You…" He paused. "How could…"

"How could I," Blonsky asked. "I wanted to show Betty who he really was. I had no idea that he would react that badly…" He paused. "Besides, general, sometimes you have to form a mutiny when the General is making wrong decisions about something…" He paused again. "And besides, Betty was incredibly stupid to trust him…"

"I can't believe this," Ross said angrily. "You…"

"It's not just me, General." He paused. "It's Warren and I." He left.

"Natasha," Bruce said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect," she said arrogantly as her eyes turned green. She smiled.


	143. Inspirations

**Chapter Eleven**

_Inspirations_

June smiled as Peter and Mary Jane kissed. "Why don't both of you take the rest of the day off," June suggested.

"June…" Peter paused. "I can never…"

"Everybody needs a vacation, Peter…" June paused. "Even Spider-Man."

"She's right, Peter." Mary Jane paused. "The world will be fine without you for one day."

"I'll see both of you later." June left.

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused. "I don't know how to say this, but…"

"What is it?"

"I…" She paused. "I don't want to get married again."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Bruce stared in horror as Natasha started to rampage through the lab. "At least you now know what I went through," Ross said.

"Natasha… Natasha…" Bruce paused. "Why am I even trying," he asked Ross. "She will never be able to hear me."

"I know." Ross paused.

"Please tell me that this will be a short meeting," Michelle said to Anne as she walked into the room.

"I promise."

"That's what you said last time."

"Well, I honestly mean it now." Anne slowly got out of her chair. "Michelle, I'm sorry. I know that I was the worst and workaholic boss…"

"You were trying to escape from reality…" Michelle paused. "You weren't yourself, Anne. I understand that."

"Why am I starting to become myself?"

"Maybe because of Stark?"

"Tony," Anne laughed. "Michelle, we have absolutely nothing in common."

"That's what they all say."

"Michelle…" Anne paused. "I never could've asked for a better friend than you. You've always been there for me, when I never could've been there for you."

"You've always been there for me," Michelle answered. Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps. "You need to get ready for the meeting. It sounds like the rest of the company is arriving."

"Okay," Anne began. "First order of business…"

"What do you mean," Peter asked.

"I don't want to get married again."

"Why?"

"Peter…" She paused. "Every wedding is a disaster."

"What are you talking about?"

"Liz and Harry- Liz realized that they were cursed, she disappeared, and Harry ruined his life, your wedding- Gwen was kidnapped and the goblin…" She paused. "My wedding- I was kidnapped by you, Liz and Ned- Liz was kidnapped by her future murderer, Ned became a psychopath, our wedding- we were kidnapped, I was possessed, we were forced to get a divorce and give up our memories, we fought and I had amnesia." She paused. "Weddings are not possible for us."

"MJ…" Peter paused. "You're right."

Bruce became concerned as Natasha walked towards them. Suddenly, she picked Bruce up. "I wasn't responsible," he began.

"I know," Ross said. "Betty's death wasn't your fault, it was Blonsky's." He paused. "I was just so angry that…"

"I understand." Bruce paused as he tried to escape Natasha's clutches. "What made you change your mind?"

"Mrs. Barton," he answered.

"So," Anne said. "In conclusion…" She paused as she noticed everyone's worried expressions. "Everyone, the meeting will be over shortly, I promise."

"Anne…" Michelle paused as she looked in horror at the window.

"What," Anne asked as she turned around in her chair. However, Anne did not have time to react because a crane quickly crashed into the building, throwing Anne over to the side of the room.

"Anne," Michelle screamed as she tried to get off the crumbling floor. However, Michelle could not get off the floor.

"So," Mary Jane began. "You agree with me?"

"I wish that I could disagree…" Peter paused. "However, you're right."

"I'm sorry, Peter," Mary Jane said. "We will never be able to be together." She left.

"Natasha," Bruce asked in shock.

"She made me realize what I had become." Ross paused. "She made me realize that it was not your fault." He paused again. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you, general." Bruce paused as Natasha raised him towards the roof. "Goodbye, general. It's been an honor." Suddenly, glass shattered.

Michelle desperately tried to hold onto the office phone; however, it slipped from her fingers. As she slid off the collapsing floor, she grabbed the gutter.

Bruce quickly looked around for the source of the noise. He was shocked to discover that Ross had fired a gun towards one of the glass cabinets. "All of us have an equal amount of blood on our hands. Natasha shouldn't die because of that fact." Suddenly, Natasha dropped Bruce. Bruce watched in horror as she walked towards the general.

Michelle screamed as the gutter disconnected from the building. As Anne slowly woke up, she was shocked to discover Michelle, swinging and screaming from the building. "Michelle," Anne groggily asked.

"Ross," Bruce yelled as Natasha picked Ross up. She threw him through the window.

"Michelle," Anne screamed as Michelle's hands slipped off the gutter. Suddenly, the floor caved in under Anne. As Anne fell towards the Earth, something caught her.

"You're welcome."

"Stark."

Natasha grimaced in pain. Bruce had fired a tranquilizer gun towards her.

"Tony," Anne screamed. "Michelle!" However, it was already too late as Michelle stayed lifeless against the rubble.

"Natasha," Bruce asked a now human but unconscious Natasha. "Nat."

"Bruce," she said as she woke up. "I couldn't control it… I remember everything in fragments…" She paused. "The general…" She paused again. "I need to leave. I can't hurt you."

"Natasha…" He paused as he stopped her. "Both of us are dangerous for society. That means that we should keep an eye on each other. Because if we can't stop each other…" He paused. "Who will?"

Anne quietly cried by Michelle's grave. "Go away, Stark," Anne said.

"I didn't even have to say anything." He paused. "I'm sorry, Anne."

"No, you're not."

"Anne, I have had many tragedies in my life, however, I have turned those tragedies into inspirations."

"What are you talking about," she asked with annoyance.

"Remember, I told you that there was more than one way of being heroic."

Later, Tony jumped as something clanged against the fireplace. "I had just gotten it repaired," he sarcastically lamented.

"You told me that there was more than one way of being heroic," Anne, as the Vulturess, said. "If you want to live, start your teaching."

"Now, you're talking."


	144. Revenge

**Chapter Twelve**

_Revenge _

"You know something," Tony asked. "I never get tired of first class."

"I'm sure you don't," Anne replied sarcastically as she focused on her magazine.

"Aren't you the first class type?"

"You know something," Anne said angrily. "I would give up all of my rich luxuries to have Harry and Michelle back. That's something, Mr. Stark, which you would never be willing to do."

"You're wrong," he said quietly. "So, pork chops or steak," he asked as he looked at the menu.

"How about neither?" Anne left.

"Vegetarians," Tony mumbled to himself. He motioned over to the flight attendant. "Is the lavatory open because nature's calling long distance…?" The flight attendant nodded.

Anne was looking through a window of the airplane when she noticed something. "Uh, is the lavatory open," she asked quickly.

"Tony," Anne asked angrily as she caught him in mid-air. "What in the world were you thinking?"

"Just my typical trip to the bathroom."

"Listen, Stark, that's not funny."

"Actually, it kind of is."

"Why?"

"I just proved you wrong," he said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You can be heroic."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Natasha…" Bruce paused as she organized files in Ross' military database. "We should leave…"

"I know…" She paused. "Just…"

"I don't mean here." He paused. "I mean we should leave town."

"What?"

"Tony," Anne said angrily as they walked. "You could've gotten both of us killed…"

"It was a risk I was willing to take."

"Of course." She paused. "Because you are an arrogant, self-conceited…"

"Look," he said angrily. "You are not the only one who has lost someone." He paused as she looked at him angrily. "There's a great restaurant nearby…"

"You're still hungry after everything you ate?"

"First class doesn't have lobster."

"Bruce," Natasha asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Natasha…" He paused. "We're a threat to everyone; including each other… both of us need to start new lives…"

"Remember what you said about us keeping track of the other?" She paused. "You were the only thing that stopped me from transforming into a killing machine again."

"Well…" He paused. "You did stop me from wrecking another city…"

"Look…" She paused. "This isn't going to be easy for either of us…" She paused again. "However, if both of us take it one step at a time, we may be able to make this work." She paused again. "I have to cancel a few accounts." She left. Bruce was going to follow her, but he stopped as he noticed a folder with the words DR. BRUCE BANNER: MEET NATASHA ROMANOFF on the folder. He opened the folder.

"Somehow," Anne said as they ate. "I doubt you were that hungry for lobster."

"I'm not." He paused. "I wanted to discuss something with you."

"What is it?"

"Jamie Smith, Robert's best friend, is hosting a party tonight for some of his closest friends, who just happen to be some of Warren's associates." He paused. "Both of us will get an opportunity for vengeance."

"Now we're talking." She smiled.

"Okay, Bruce," Natasha said as she walked back into the room. "Are Ross' files taken care of?"

"Yes…" He paused. "Except for this." He held up the file. "You certainly earn your name, Black Widow," he said angrily.

"What are you talking about?"

"You murdered Clint."

Anne smiled as she danced with Jamie. "So, how well did you know Robert?"

"Very well." He paused. "One of the nicest guys you'd ever meet."

"Oh, really," Anne gushed.

Tony smiled as he managed to break into the security system. He heard footsteps. "Perfect," he said to himself. He smiled.

"Listen, Bruce," Natasha said slowly as her eyes started to water. "I didn't…"

"Natasha, all of the evidence is there. You tricked him, just like you did with your other men…"

"That's not true." She paused as she looked at him wearily. "I was changed…"

"No, you weren't." He paused. "You only pretended to be changed so that you could murder him…"

"I wasn't in my right mind," she begged. "I was under the influence…"

"Of what? Drugs and alcohol? You honestly expect me to believe that?"

"Bruce…" She paused. "Somebody put me up to it…"

"I'm sure that's what you told Clint," he said angrily before he left.

"I didn't," Natasha said wearily.

"So," Anne asked as she walked into the room. "What do we have?"

"A very weak security system, that's for sure." He paused. "People are coming."

"Perfect." Suddenly, Jamie and Warren's associates entered into the room.

"You didn't think that you would be recognized, Tony Stark," he asked sarcastically.

"Occupational hazard," Tony said with a shrug.

"Now," Jamie said. "What do both of you want in your obituaries?"

"Actually," Tony began as Anne shot Jamie and the associates. "I'd love to have it in a later volume of the paper."

"So," Anne asked Tony. "Jamie was working with Warren all along?"

"What is it with conspiracy theories," Tony asked. Anne smiled.

Mary Jane was walking through the city when someone stopped her. "It's been awhile since I talked to you," the woman said to her.

"Who are you," Mary Jane asked wearily.

"Rough day," the woman asked.

"Rough years," Mary Jane answered.

"I hope things get better," the woman said. "Remember, I was talking to you about George Stacy and…"

"Warren," Mary Jane said slowly as she remembered.

"Who?" The woman paused. "Is everything all right?"

"I…" Mary Jane paused. "I have to go." She paused. "Excuse me." Mary Jane left hurriedly.

"So," Tony asked Anne as they walked. "Do you trust me now?"

"Not a chance."

"Why not?"

"Tony, you can't trust anyone." She paused. "That's a lesson that I had to learn the difficult way."

"How about a Ferrari to change your mind?"

"Seriously?"

"Well, I can afford it."

"So," Tony began as he drove the Ferrari, "What started your trust issues?"

"Harry and Michelle, they were the only people that I trusted." She paused. "Everybody else only cared about their own good."

"Yeah…" Suddenly, something stopped the car. Tony was shocked to discover a web attached to the car. "No wonder insurance is so high on these things." Peter, as Spider-man, landed on the ground. "Looks like Peter Parker isn't such a boy scout after all."

"You certainly aren't."

"I never was." Tony paused. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Anne trying to take vengeance…" He paused. "It's not right…"

"No, Peter, it's not right to just let them go and hurt more people."

"You don't care about the rest of the world," Peter answered. "You only cared about yourself."

"Yeah, somehow, I can't believe that you wanted to be lectured on vengeance after Gwen's death…"

"Tony, I've been there." He paused. "Death only leads to more death; revenge only leads to more revenge…" He paused. "If you do this, a life for a life, you're just bringing yourself down to Robert's level." He swung away.


	145. Last Resort

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Last Resort_

Anne looked at Tony. "So, are you ready for our next assignment, Stark?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," he said as adjusted his headset.

"Okay, then," Anne said unemotionally. She started to leave. Suddenly, she turned around. "Stark?"

"Yes?"

"These are dangerous people… highly trained killers."

"I know," he said with annoyance.

"Just be careful out there, okay," Anne said uneasily.

"I will." Tony paused. "Anne?"

"Yes," she said as she turned around again.

"Thanks." He paused. "Actually, I was going to tell you the same thing…"

"I'm sure." Anne smiled before she quickly turned around. Confused, she walked into the building.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

Bruce struggled against his constraints. "Hello, doctor," Emil said as he walked into the room. He smiled at Bruce. "Funny… normally the doctor makes the diagnosis…" He inserted a sedative into Bruce's neck. Bruce fiercely struggled against the constraints.

"So," Tony said to Warren's former employees. "What can you tell me about Warren?"

"Well…" One of the employees paused. "He was a difficult boss."

"Yes, he was," one of the other employees, said.

"Do you want to know what else he taught us?"

"What," Tony asked.

"Who to trust," they said as they drew a gun on Tony. "Don't worry, your little girlfriend will be facing the same fate soon…"

"Somehow, I doubt that," Tony said as he pushed both of the men together. "And, she's not my girlfriend…" Tony watched as their heads collided. "Not yet, anyway." As they fell to the ground, Tony ran away.

"Nice work," Anne said as she dropped from the ceiling.

"I know," Tony responded. "So, did you find any information in the ceiling?"

"Unfortunately not," Anne answered. Suddenly, she looked up. "Tony, we need to leave… now!"

"Why," he asked.

"This place is rigged. It's going to explode in five minutes…"

"Better not take the elevator," Tony answered as they quickly ran up the stairs.

"Natasha," Bruce asked in shock as Natasha entered into the room. "Let me guess," he said angrily. "You're here to kill me?"

"No," Natasha said firmly.

"You know," Emil said. "I'd love to stay, but I don't want to be a witness to a murder." He looked at Natasha. "It's too late. You have no chance of saving him." Natasha frowned at him before he left.

Anne and Tony were getting ready to jump off the roof when something stopped them. "I'm not going to let you leave," the man answered.

"Of course you aren't," Tony said sarcastically. Suddenly, he pushed Tony and Anne off the roof. Tony and Anne quickly grabbed onto the edge of the roof. "Can you manage," Tony asked Anne.

"If you can," she quickly answered. Suddenly, the man walked towards them.

"Wait," Tony said quickly. "Let me say something."

"Bruce…" Natasha paused as Bruce struggled against his constraints. "Bruce… focus on me… it's going to be okay…"

"Don't you understand," he said angrily. "You're not going to kill me."

"Look," Natasha said impatiently. "I'm not here to kill you."

"Of course you aren't," he said sarcastically.

"Bruce," she said. "I know that no gun would ever kill you…" She paused again as one of the constraints broke. "The odds of mortality are not in my favor here…"

"Why are you working for Warren?"

"What," the man asked.

"You heard me," Tony said as he gripped the roof.

"He…" He paused. "He threatened to kill my family…"

"Look," Tony said. "Warren will try to kill your family no matter what you choose… that's the kind of person he is…"

"Tony," Anne said impatiently. "We don't have time for this."

"Anne, we have no other option." He paused. "Listen, if you kill us, you're bringing yourself down to Warren's level." He paused. "What is your name?"

"William Worthington."

"May I call you Will?" William nodded. "Will… Worthington, that name sounds familiar." He paused again. "I saved your family when Obadiah tried to destroy the city."

"You're Iron Man," he asked in shock.

"So much for the whole secret identity thing," Anne said sarcastically.

"I march to the beat of my own drummer," Tony said.

"I can tell," Anne responded. Suddenly, their hands slipped off the roof. However, something stopped them from falling. Anne and Tony were shocked to discover that Will had saved them.

"Why are you here if you know that you're going to die," Bruce asked.

"Bruce," Natasha began. "I've risked my life in unworthy situations." She paused. "It's time that I risked my life in a worthy situation." She paused. "I'm also here to tell you the truth. I was under the mind control of Loki…"

"Who," Bruce asked.

"Some Asgardian god," Natasha answered. "Under that mind control, I killed the person that I loved the most." She paused. "Which is why I understand how much the situation with Betty hurt you…" She paused again. "Bruce, the whole world blamed you, and you blamed yourself, while you were trying to deal with your own grief."

"You…" He paused. "You understand," he asked in shock.

"Bruce," she paused. "Both of us are lost souls, who are desperately trying to find our way back to civilization." She paused as he relaxed. "We need each other so that we can support each other. Bruce's other constraint broke.

"So," Anne asked as she walked with Tony. "You listened to Peter, for once?"

"Shocking, right," Tony answered. Anne laughed. Suddenly, Tony frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Pepper always wanted to go to Romania," Tony said. "I was so busy that I always told her that we would make it here someday…" He paused again. "We never made it here…"

"Harry always wanted to go here as well," Anne, said quietly. "I was always so busy that I told him that we'd go sometime." She paused. "Life is too short to make excuses."

"I know." Tony paused.

"Tony…" Anne paused. "You're not a bad person."

"Thanks." Tony paused. "I guess both of us have just had bad luck."

"That's one way of putting it," Anne said quietly.

Mary Jane was walking down the sidewalk when someone stopped her. "Oh, hi, Robert…" She paused. "Listen, this isn't such a great time…" She started to leave. Suddenly, she started to run as she remembered. He sedated her.

Peter, as Spider-man, landed in front of Anne and Tony. "Again," Tony asked with fake annoyance. "What is it this time?"

"Tony…" He paused. "Robert has kidnapped Mary Jane."


	146. Lost Souls

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Lost Souls_

Anne trembled slightly as the smoke from the gun dissolved. "She would never choose you, Tony," Robert mumbled as he took his last breath. Anne and Tony looked at him in disbelief.

"Well…" Tony paused. "That's the end of Robert…" He paused. "I… I just thought that I would feel different…"

"I know." Anne paused as she walked over to an unconscious Mary Jane, who was lying on the ground. "Mary Jane?"

"No," Mary Jane said as she suddenly woke up. "It's Warren." She smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"W… Warren," Anne said in shock.

"Didn't you hear me the first time," "Mary Jane" said as she got up off the ground.

"You…" Anne paused. "Harry…"

"Leave Mary Jane alone," Tony demanded.

"What did you want me to do after you destroyed my last life vessel?"

"What? No… Robert? It can't be…"

"It's like I said before, Tony." "Mary Jane's" eyes glowed as the wind blew through her hair. "She would have never chosen you." Suddenly, Tony lunged for "her" neck.

"Tony," Anne warned. "Remember, that's Mary Jane…"

"You're right," Tony said slowly as he released his grip.

"Harry," Anne said slowly to "Mary Jane." "You killed…"

"Trust me, that poor little rich boy was better off six feet under," "Mary Jane" said sarcastically. Suddenly, Anne lunged for "her" neck.

"Look," Anne said sternly. "Leave Mary Jane alone."

"Very well." Suddenly, Mary Jane's eyes returned to normal.

"Tony? Anne?"

"Mary…" Suddenly, Anne's eyes gleamed. "Tony, you told me to leave Mary Jane alone. Somehow, I doubt that this is better for you."

"Leave Anne alone! If you don't…"

"If I don't, you'll do what?"

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on," Mary Jane demanded.

"You were possessed by Warren, and now, he's controlling Anne."

"Well, that explains the long nap." Mary Jane paused as she looked at Anne. "Warren?"

"Yes."

"Wait… Robert?"

"I was Robert." "Anne" paused. "Robert wanted to rescue Pepper from the so-called clone wars; so, I possessed him at their wedding reception. I took away Tony's only hope of a normal life… the only thing that mattered to him."

"Because you wanted to see him fail," Mary Jane answered. "You believed that you were forced to fail." She paused. "You blamed Spider-man for George's murder, so, you wanted to see the emotional demise of all superheroes until you could physically plan their demise."

"How do you know all of this," Tony asked in shock.

"You learn a lot of information when you go to the police department."

"Apparently so."

"Mrs. Reilly is wrong," "Anne" flippantly said. "George Stacy meant nothing to me." "She" paused. "However, Pepper Potts meant everything to you," she said as she looked at Tony. "Oh, wait; it's Pepper Carr, isn't it?" Tony pushed "Anne" until she was almost off the roof.

"Wait," Mary Jane said. "You're hurting Anne." She paused. "I know that Warren had no excuse for doing what he did." She paused again. "He was giving into vengeance, which is what you're doing right now. However, vengeance only leads to wrongful deaths."

"You're…" Tony paused as he walked away from "Anne." "You're right." He paused. "Warren, George was…"

"Perhaps your girlfriend will have a different attitude," "Anne" quickly interrupted. Suddenly, Anne's eyes returned to normal and Tony's eyes gleamed. "Anne," "Tony" began. "It's such a shame that Harry died." Anne frowned as he walked towards her. "However, what was his life going to be like? Controlled by you? Controlled by his father? Maybe it's not such a shame after all. Maybe I saved him where you never could." Anne lunged towards him. Suddenly, Peter, as Spider-man, swung onto the roof.

"Peter," Mary Jane warned. "You're not safe here."

"I overheard everything," he answered. "Nobody is safe here… why should I leave all of you in Warren's hands?" He looked at "Tony." "Warren."

"Peter Parker…" "Tony" paused as he smiled. "Just in time." He started to walk towards him. "I'm surprised that you took up being Spider-Man again."

"What are you talking about," Peter demanded.

"Well, after Liz's death…" He paused. "I thought that you would realize that you could not save anyone, if you couldn't save your wife or your best friend."

"How do you know about Liz's death," Peter demanded.

"Normally, I would say that I just heard about it…" He paused. "However, I'm having too much fun with this." He paused. "I killed her."

"What are you talking about," he demanded.

"I injected Jameson with psychotic drugs," he said. "Until the only person who could stop him couldn't help him because he didn't recognize her…" He paused. "She deserved to die because she trusted you. If you hadn't been in her life, she would still be alive right now because I would have had no reason to kill her." He smiled. Peter lunged towards "Tony." Mary Jane stopped him. Suddenly, she sedated "Tony."

"He deserves to die," Peter said.

"He doesn't deserve to die, Peter," Mary Jane said. "Look, he killed because he wanted revenge, which is what you wanted. Revenge only leads to more revenge; death only leads to more death… until one day, when there is no more, because the cycle is complete."

"He's a danger to society."

"Everybody is a danger to society."

"Where is Warren's real body," Anne demanded.

"It's currently in the hospital." Mary Jane paused. "However, neither of you are going to harm it."

"We need to get Tony back," Anne said.

"We will get him back," Mary Jane responded. "Warren can't fight against a sedative. The original occupant will come back." She looked at Peter. "I overheard some of your lessons with Dr. Connors."

"What are we doing about Warren," Tony asked as he woke up.

"You're going to finish this." Mary Jane looked at the hospital. "Once and for all."

In the hospital, Mary Jane, Anne, Tony and Peter walked towards Warren's room. In the room, Warren, attached to an IV, was gasping for breath as they walked into the room. "You…" He looked at them. "You even put me under a different name so that nobody could find me." He paused. "Thank you."

"You weren't near death," Peter said. "What happened?"

"The husband of one of my murder victims poisoned my food," Warren explained breathlessly. He paused. "You're right… George would have hated who I became." He paused. "All of this time, I thought that I was trying to seek justice for George's death when I was becoming the opposite of what George was." He paused as he looked at all of them. "I'm sorry."

"I understand the dark path of revenge," Peter said as he walked towards him. "I wanted to take revenge on the people who hurt my friends and family so many times." He paused again. "Maybe not today… maybe not tomorrow… but someday, Warren, I'll be able to forgive you."

"Thank you." Warren took his last breath.


	147. Whirlwind

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Whirlwind_

Mary Jane was watching TV in her apartment when the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Bruce and Natasha. "Hey," Natasha said awkwardly. "I'm Natasha Barton. You're Mary Jane Reilly?"

"Yes, I am."

"Great." Natasha paused. "I heard that you're great at arranging weddings."

"Okay…"

"Mary Jane," Bruce interrupted. "Could you arrange our wedding?"

"Hey," Tony said to Anne as he opened the door. "This is a surprise. What's the occasion?" Suddenly, she kissed him.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Wait…" Mary Jane paused. "Bruce… I thought that Miss Romanoff was sent to kill you after Betty's death because Blonsky…"

"She was," Bruce said hesitantly.

"Then, why are you marrying her?"

"Both of us are lost souls, Mary Jane," Natasha answered.

"Of course." Mary Jane paused. "Hopefully, you're not more lost than he is."

Peter was walking down the street when something made him stop. Anne and Tony were holding hands. "Both of you don't seem to be the romantic types," Peter said hesitantly.

"Well, people can change their minds," Anne said.

"I know," Peter said hesitantly. "Uh, Tony, may I talk to you for a second?"

"Peter, when you say a second, you mean an hour," Tony said sarcastically.

"Now, Tony." They left.

Bruce followed Mary Jane into the kitchen. "I know what you're thinking."

"You do?"

"You're thinking that Natasha is only marrying me so that she can get close enough to kill me."

"Yes, that is what I'm thinking." She paused. "Bruce, your life has been difficult enough with the Hulk and Betty's death and…"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Maybe you're just trying to find an antidote to your grief."

"I'm not."

"Look…" Mary Jane paused as she walked towards him. "I'm not trying to second guess your judgments, but you're about to marry a woman who has killed all of her grooms."

"She changed."

"No, she didn't." She paused. "She killed Clint Barton, the man who supposedly reformed her…"

"He did," he said quickly. "She was under the influence of Loki…"

"Who?"

"Some Asgardian Norse god bent on world domination."

"Okay…" She paused. "What if she lied to you about that?"

"She didn't."

"How do you know?" Mary Jane raised her eyebrows.

"I just do."

"I'm sorry, Bruce." She paused. "I will not give you my blessing… or my help." She left the kitchen.

"Peter," Tony said. "What is this intervention about?"

"You're rushing into things." He paused. "Both of you. You're just trying to find a solution to your grief, so, you're using each other, and in the end, both of you will get hurt."

"Look," Tony said. "I'd love to stay and finish this dramatic scene, but Anne and I have a date." He paused. "By the way, why aren't you with Mary Jane?" He left.

Mary Jane was walking across the room when she noticed something coming towards the window. Suddenly, Natasha tackled her, sending Mary Jane out of the object's range. As part of the room blew up, Mary Jane looked at Natasha in shock. "Pumpkin bomb," Natasha answered. "Norman's specialty, right?" Mary Jane continued to look at her in shock. "Bruce brought me up to speed."

Anne was in her office when the phone rang. It was James Lanter, Harry's old business partner. "Hello, James, this is a surprise."

"I'm sorry, Anne."

"Thank you, James." Anne paused. "I still can't believe that Harry…"

"This isn't about Harry." He paused. "This is about Tony."

"Tony," Anne said in shock.

"Your face will stay that way if you keep looking at me like that," Natasha said as she helped Mary Jane off the floor.

"I'm sorry…" Mary Jane paused. "It's just that I didn't know that…"

"That the Black Widow could be heroic?" Natasha paused. "Mary Jane, Clint did reform me and I was under the influence of Loki when I killed him." She paused. "He meant the world to me…"

"I know what you mean." She paused. "When I lost Ben, I thought that life could not get any worse. Then, I lost my best friend…" She paused as her eyes started to water. However, she quickly regained her composure. "Thank you, Natasha."

"No problem," Natasha said quickly. "I'm sorry, Mary Jane about Ben and Liz."

"Thank you," Mary Jane said as she nodded slowly. She started to leave.

"Mary Jane," Natasha said quickly.

"Yes?"

"A damsel in distress can also become the hero."

"Highly unlikely."

"Hey," Natasha said. "If the villain can become a hero, why can't the damsel in distress?" She smiled as she walked back into the living room.

"Anne," Tony said as he knocked on her office door. "Hello," he said as he opened the door.

"Tony," Anne said coldly. "Don't take another step."

"Very funny," Tony said as he continued walking towards her.

"I'm serious," Anne said as she drew a gun.

"Wait…" He paused. "Are you Norman now or…" He paused. "Obadiah."

"I'm still Anne, Tony." She paused. "You killed those people."

"What?"

"I saw the video footage." She showed him a video of Iron Man killing civilians.

"Obadiah," Tony said again. "Listen to me, Anne. Obadiah is setting this up. You have to trust me."

"Why should I," Anne asked. Suddenly, the authorities walked into the room.

"Tony Stark, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…"

Mary Jane smiled as she walked into the room. "Bruce and Natasha, you have my blessing." She paused. "And, I will help you arrange your wedding."

"Thank you," Bruce said.

"No problem." She paused. "Well, this ought to be interesting. A wedding between the most notorious freaks of nature." She smiled as they laughed.

"Hey, Peter," Tony said as he was leaving a voicemail on Peter's cell phone. "This is the one phone call that I'm allowed. You were right… I was rushing into things. Obadiah set me up, so now, Anne and everybody else believes that I'm a murderer. If you could bail me out, that would be great." He paused again. "You'll probably never want to check your voicemail again. Sorry about that." He hung up.


	148. Conspiracy Weary

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Conspiracy Weary_

Anne was wearily sitting in her office. How could she have trusted him? Why did she trust him? Anne thought about Tony's love of motorcycles, Tony's random yet hilarious quips and the fact that their relationship had some personal elements to it. _Wait_, she thought to herself. _Our relationship was never personal. We just used this relationship as an anecdote. I did, anyway._ _After he murdered Harry, he wanted to murder me. With both of us out of the way, Tony would have no business rivals… none in his category, anyway._ "Osborn?" Anne jumped as someone entered into the room.

"My alias is gone," Anne lamented.

"It's more than gone." He smiled at her.

"Who are you," she asked wearily.

"I'm Emil Blonsky," he answered. "I've been assigned to protect you."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Thank you," Anne said as she collected paperwork to file. "But I don't need your assistance."

"Mrs. Osborn," Emil said with the greatest sympathy he could muster. "I'm here to protect you. Tony Stark…"

"Tony Stark means nothing to me." Anne looked at him angrily. "Excuse me; I have some business to attend to." She started to leave.

"Very well." He paused. "However, your workers aren't here."

"Where are they," Anne asked hesitantly as she faced the door.

"All of them received offers that they couldn't refuse." He smiled.

"Mary Jane," Bruce said as Mary Jane opened the door. "I have some news."

"What is it?"

"We decided to move the wedding." He hesitated.

"Oh." She paused. "Okay, two months, three months, four…"

"Tomorrow."

"What do you mean," Anne asked wearily.

"Oh, Anne," Emil began. "I'm so sorry to tell you this, but Tony Stark murdered them before he was arrested." He paused. "Which is why I must insist that you come with me." He grabbed her by the arm.

"Tomorrow," Mary Jane asked. "Uh, Bruce…"

"No, I'm not going crazy," Bruce, said.

"Mary Jane," Natasha began as she started to walk into the room. "Blonsky's planning a revolt against Bruce. We don't want to give him much time to prepare in case he's planning on repeating…" She stopped.

"I understand." Mary Jane paused. "However, what about all of the materials and prep work?"

"Don't worry about that." Natasha paused. "We have friends in high places." She smiled.

"Thanks for bailing me out, Peter," Tony said as Peter drove Tony to Anne's work place.

"No problem." Peter paused. "Although, technically, you bailed yourself out."

"True." He paused. "You could never bail me out on your _Daily Bugle_ budget… no offense."

"None taken… you ex-convict."

"Touché."

"Tony Stark has paid for an entire wedding?" Mary Jane laughed. "That's a first."

"I know." Natasha paused. "I guess some people should not be judged quickly." She smiled slightly.

"Well," Mary Jane said. "If we're going to be ready by tomorrow, we have a lot of work to do." She started to head out the door.

"Mary Jane…" Natasha stopped her.

"What?"

"I know that I could never replace Liz…" She paused. "However, I want you to know that you'll always be the best friend that I never thought I could have."

"Thanks, Nat." Mary Jane smiled slightly before she headed out of the door.

"Anne," Tony asked as he knocked on the door. "Anne?" There was no response.

"Tony, it's after work hours," Peter said. "She went home. C'mon, you need your rest and you can talk to her tomorrow. Let's go."

"Hold on." Tony paused. "I'm going to call her." He paused.

"Voicemail?"

"Yes," Tony said wearily. "Peter, could you call her?"

"If her phone's on voicemail, Tony, why would she pick up?"

"She's probably screening her calls," Tony said. "Why would she answer me when she believed that I killed Harry?"

"I'll call her," Peter said quickly. "Tony, I'm sorry, it's voicemail."

"Do you think she…" Tony paused.

"Tony…" Peter paused. "She may have run away." He paused. "It may be for the best, Tony." He started to walk away

"What do you mean by that," Tony asked angrily as he followed Peter.

"Tony…" Peter paused. "After Pepper and Harry died, neither of you were ready." He paused. "Neither of you will be ready because you will always feel guilty."

"Are we still talking about Anne and I or are we talking about Mary Jane and you," he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Peter, you and Mary Jane have almost rivaled Taylor and Burton when it comes to revolving relationships…"

"We're being cautious."

"You're afraid to live your life."

"We don't want to head into something that isn't certain."

"That's the thing, Peter." Tony paused. "Nothing in life is certain. Job, love, home, personality, friends, enemies… Obadiah…"

"Look, Tony, I know that everything is a joke for you, but you have to take life seriously."

"If you take life too seriously, Peter, you'll never live it."

"Tony, she never cared about you. She was just using you as an anecdote for her grief." Peter paused. "I'm having trouble believing that you weren't using her as an anecdote for your grief."

"Isn't that funny," Tony, remarked semi-sarcastically. "That's exactly what you and Mary Jane were to each other." He left.

Anne looked around in the empty room. "Interrogation center… nice." She paused as she looked at Emil. "Let me guess… you're assuming that I was Stark's accomplice?" She paused as she looked at him suspiciously. "Listen, I never knew what Tony was up to."

"I know." Emil paused. "Because he wasn't up to anything."

"What?"

"Warren killed Harry; Tony had no role in it." He paused.

"Emil Blonsky…" Anne paused hesitantly. "Your name sounds familiar."

"It should." He paused. "I chased the Hulk through the streets of Harlem, yet that murdering wretch still managed to escape."

"Abomination…" Anne paused. "Such a ridiculous name, but yet it fits."

"Betty Ross' wedding…" He paused. "Just think… I saved her from a life of being married to that freak, even if my only choice was murdering her." He laughed slightly. Anne slowly reached for her gun.

"Hold on…" Anne jumped slightly as she heard someone's voice. "That won't be necessary."

"Anne," Emil said as the stranger walked into the room. "May I introduce you to your father-in-law, Norman Osborn?"

"Nice to meet you." He looked at her. "You know what they say about in-laws." He smiled.


	149. Incredible Wedding

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Incredible Wedding_

"Natasha," Mary Jane said as she walked into the preparation room. Natasha was in a spaghetti-strap white wedding dress. Her curly red hair had white and silver floral leaf hairpins.

"Hey, Mary Jane," she said. "You didn't come here with sedatives, did you?"

"No," Mary Jane said. She laughed slightly. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks." Natasha paused. "You mean for an assassin."

"No, I meant it." Mary Jane paused. "I'm sorry, Natasha. I was completely wrong about you."

"Thank you, Mary Jane." Natasha paused as she walked towards her. "Although, I understand why you thought that. If I were in your position, I would want to protect Bruce as well." She paused. "It's his second wedding day… I just hope that I can protect him now."

"I have no doubt that you'll be able to protect him."

"Thanks for the comforting words," Natasha began. "However, how do you know?"

"Because I know you," Mary Jane said. She smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Natasha," Bruce said as she walked into the other preparation room before the wedding. "Don't you know that it's bad luck for the bride to see the groom before the wedding?"

"Who cares," she said nonchalantly.

"What," Bruce said nervously as he adjusted his cufflinks.

"Who cares about superstitions?"

"Natasha," Bruce said worriedly. "I wanted everything to be perfect. We shouldn't be breaking superstitions."

"Bruce," Natasha said reassuringly. "We don't need to be worried about breaking superstitions."

"Yes, we do, Natasha." Bruce paused. "What if…"

"What if…"

"What if I hurt you?" Bruce paused as he turned away from her. "I can't take that chance."

"Bruce…" Natasha paused as she looked at him reassuringly. "That's not going to happen."

"How can you be sure?"

"I love you, Bruce," Natasha said. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." They kissed. Natasha looked at him.

Mary Jane looked at Tony who was sullenly sitting in a chair. "What's with him," she asked Peter.

"Anne went missing."

"What?" Mary Jane looked at Peter in shock. "Peter, you should be looking for her."

"What's the point?"

"What?"

"What's the point," he repeated. "Mary Jane, she ran off. I don't know where to find her."

"Peter…" Mary Jane looked at him angrily. "Just because you don't know where she is doesn't give you an excuse to stop looking for her."

"Maybe she'll be happier without Tony."

"No, Peter, she was happier with Tony." She paused. "Look, maybe both of them won't admit it, but they need each other."

"I'll…" Peter paused. He did not want to admit it, but Mary Jane was right. "I'll look for them tomorrow, after the wedding."

"Fine." Mary Jane walked towards Natasha. "Okay, is everything ready?"

"Well," Bruce said at the reception. "So far, so good."

"Everything is going to be fine, Bruce," Mary Jane said.

"Everything will be fine," Natasha repeated.

"Mary Jane," Peter said. "May I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." They left.

"Mary Jane," Peter began. "I was talking with Tony the other day…"

"That's never a good beginning to a conversation," she joked.

"He made me realize something."

"What," she asked unsurely.

"Everything in life will change." He paused. "Nothing is permanent. However, you shouldn't dwell on the past."

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused. "I don't like where this is going."

"Mary Jane, listen to me on this." He paused. "Both of us have been living in the past." He paused. "We need to live in the present." He paused as he got down on one knee. "Mary Jane, will you marry me?"

"Peter…" Mary Jane paused.

"Mary Jane…" He paused. "In life there are no promises, no guarantees…" He paused. "However, that shouldn't keep one from living life."

"We talked about this." She paused.

"I know." He paused. "However, Tony changed my mind…"

"Well, he's not changing my mind." She paused. "I'm sorry; Peter, but I can't marry you." As she walked away, Peter sensed that something was wrong. The back wall of the room exploded as Peter pushed Mary Jane out of the way. As the dust cleared, Peter saw Norman, as the Green Goblin, holding an unconscious Anne in his arms. As Norman flew away, Tony ran after them.

"I have to go after him," Peter said quickly to Mary Jane. "He doesn't know how Norman operates." Peter quickly ran after them.

"Bruce... Bruce," Natasha screamed. Mary Jane quickly turned around. Bruce looked like he was choking. "It's going to be okay, Bruce. It's going to be okay…"

"Natasha," Mary Jane screamed. "You have to leave."

"I'm not leaving him." Suddenly, Bruce's fists hit the silverware. His eyes turned green.

"You have to go, Natasha."

"I'm not leaving him," she repeated. Suddenly, Bruce, as the Hulk, flung her towards the wall. Mary Jane watched in horror as Natasha landed lifelessly on the floor.

"Natasha," Mary Jane said as she raced over towards her. "Natasha, are you okay?" There was no response.

"You've got to be kidding me," Anne said as she struggled against her restraints. Norman had handcuffed her to the helper handle in a car. "You're Harry's father? Boy, the apple does fall far from the tree."

"Very funny." He paused. "You ruined my son's life," he said angrily.

"You did," she said as she continued to struggle.

"Don't worry about Tony."

"What about Tony?"

"Tony and your friends will be killed along with you." He smirked slightly.

Mary Jane tried to think of a quick solution as the Hulk started to approach her. "Bruce… Bruce," Mary Jane said quickly. "I'm Mary Jane. You're Bruce Banner." He continued to walk towards her. "Listen, Bruce, you have to control this… I know that you can control it." However, he continued to walk towards her. "Look at her," Mary Jane said angrily as she pointed to Natasha. "Is this the kind of legacy that you wanted to leave behind?" Suddenly, his eyes changed. He was not angry; he was disappointed. Suddenly, he walked away. Mary Jane looked around her. Peter and Tony had gone missing, Natasha was unconscious, the Goblin had kidnapped Anne and Bruce had become the Hulk again. Suddenly, Mary Jane felt pain. As she looked down on the floor, there was a spider crawling across the floor. As she put her hand on the table, her hand stuck to the table. While she was removing her hand from the table, webbing hit a chair. She smiled.


	150. Auto Pilot

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Auto Pilot_

Natasha was beginning to wake up when she noticed that she was lying on a pile of rubble. Suddenly, she noticed Mary Jane standing by her. "Mary Jane," she said in a panic. "Where are we? Where is Bruce? Is he okay?"

"Bruce…" Mary Jane paused as she knelt beside Natasha. "Bruce is going to be fine," she said reassuringly. You rest." Mary Jane quickly left.

"There's one thing that Natasha Banner does not do," Natasha said as she got up. "And that is rest." She ran.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"You know…" Norman paused as he drove. "You were not the right wife for Harry."

"I wasn't," Anne said in pretend shock. "I wasn't," she yelled as she kicked his arm. Norman's car swerved because of Anne's kick, but Norman quickly regained control.

"Jarvis," Tony said as he flew in his private jet. The jet was hovering several feet above Norman's car. "Jarvis," Tony repeated. There was no answer. "There's probably just a glitch in the system," Tony said to himself as he prepared to jump. "Jarvis," Tony yelled, as the Iron Man suit did not come on. Tony quickly grabbed one of the wings of the plane.

Natasha searched through the city for Bruce; however, she could not find him. Suddenly, she spotted him.

Tony's right hand slipped off the wing of the airplane. He quickly grabbed a banner attached to the plane.

Mary Jane was racing through the city when she suddenly saw Peter, as Spider-Man, tied down to the subway track. "Peter," she yelled, however, there was no response.

Anne quickly looked behind her. "Tony," she said under her breath. Suddenly, Norman fired a gun towards the back of the car. Anne screamed as the bullet barely missed her.

"Anne," Tony said quietly as he held onto the bottom of the car.

"Tony," she said. "Are you okay?"

"I've heard of road rage before, but that was over the top."

Mary Jane swung towards the tracks. As one of the webbing strands caught the tracks, she jumped.

"I'm guessing that your arms are getting tired," Tony said quietly as he jumped into the car.

"Good guess," Anne said sarcastically. He cut the rope with a pocketknife.

As Mary Jane caught one of the tracks, she started to climb the tracks. Suddenly, her feet slipped off the tracks. However, instead of falling, her hands stuck to the tracks. "That's convenient," she said to herself.

Bruce, as the Hulk, was staring at a building. "Hopefully the Hulk doesn't smash anymore," Natasha said to herself as she walked towards him. "Bruce," she yelled. Suddenly, he looked at her angrily.

"I need your help. Anne's in danger… she was kidnapped by Norman." He did not change his expression. "Are you going to help me?" He did not respond. "Fine," Natasha said sadly. She started to walk away from him. Suddenly, he raced towards Norman's car. "That's more like it," Natasha said to herself.

"Tony," Anne said. "You have to go… it's not safe for you."

"And you think that this is safe for you how," Tony asked sarcastically. Suddenly, something came towards them. Suddenly, the seat behind Anne caught on fire. "What happens when the exit catches on fire," Tony asked.

"There's a sun roof," Anne said quickly as she pushed the sunroof button.

"Peter," Mary Jane said as she slapped him. There was no response. Suddenly, she heard the subway car coming towards them. "Great."

Anne and Tony quickly crawled out of the car through the sunroof; however, Norman quickly followed them. Norman pushed Anne towards the bridge barrier. "Nice day for a swim isn't it," he said sarcastically. However, Anne's shoes gripped the sunroof of the car.

Mary Jane used a pocketknife to break Peter's constraints. "Tony was right about pocket knives," she said to herself as she lifted Peter off the tracks. As she put his arms around her neck, she noticed that the subway car was not stopping.

"Funny," Tony said to Anne as they jumped out of the car. "I thought that you said that you would never be a damsel in distress."

"Both of us are in distress," Anne corrected him.

"I agree," Norman said as he grabbed both of them.

Mary Jane quickly swung towards a building. She pulled herself and Peter out of the way of the subway car. As they landed in the balcony of the building, Mary Jane focused on the subway car.

"You know," Norman said as he dropped them on the railroad tracks. "It's a shame that both of you were too focused on each other instead of being focused on saving society." He flew away. Suddenly, a train appeared out of nowhere.

"Anne," Tony said quickly. "I love you." He pushed her off the tracks.

Peter was starting to wake up. "What happened," he said groggily.

"I don't have time to explain," Mary Jane answered. "Why aren't they stopping," she said to herself.

"Who?"

"The subway car that's about to go off the tracks." Both of them watched in horror as the car started to go off the tracks. Suddenly, something stopped them. "Bruce," Mary Jane said in shock as Bruce, as the Hulk, stopped the subway car.

"Tony," Anne screamed. However, there was no response. "I promised myself that I would never let this happen again," Anne said sadly. "I loved you too." As her eyes started to water, she remembered Norman's threat about the society.

"I didn't pay enough into life insurance, did I?" Anne was shocked to hear Tony's voice.

"Tony," she said in shock. "But I thought…"

"I didn't catch that train." He paused. "However, I did hear you… does it still count if I'm living or was that policy only good if I was gone?" They kissed.

"Bruce," Natasha said as she raced towards him. "Are you okay?"

"I think it's safe to say that I feel like I was hit by a subway car," the now-human Bruce said. They kissed.

"So," Peter asked. "How exactly did I get out of that subway trap that Norman had set me up for?"

"I…" She paused. "I saved you."

"You… how?"

"Two words." She paused. "Spider bite."

"Mary Jane…" He paused. "You can't do this. It's too…"

"Dangerous?" She looked at him stubbornly. "If you're willing to take those risks, you should let me take those same risks as well."

"I wouldn't argue with her, Peter," Bruce yelled from across the way. He smiled.

"I guess you're right." He paused. "But how were you able to use your abilities so quickly?"

"Maybe I'm not as dumb as most spiders." She smiled at him and they kissed.

"Okay, first order of business," Tony said at George's Point. "First, Natasha and Bruce have to be inaugurated into the system." He paused as he typed their names into the system. "Okay, that's it."

"That's it," Bruce asked sarcastically. "You had everybody come here in their dirty, blood stained clothes, and that's it?"

"You know I'm about style, not about ceremony." Tony smiled as he shook their hands. "Congratulations, Natasha and Bruce." He paused. "Second order of business… Peter, did you change your mind about inauguration?"

"Not yet, Stark," Peter said with confidence. "I'm still trying to find my own way."

"You've been trying to do that the past seven years," Tony said. "If you haven't found it by now, you're never going to."

"Oh, I think you're wrong on that one," Peter said confidently. He smiled.

"Third order of business… Anne and I are engaged." He paused. "It took a psychotic journey for her to say yes to me, do you believe it?" As everyone laughed, the doorbell rang. "Fourth order of business… Natasha, you and Bruce have a honeymoon to attend to, so, why are you hanging around here?"

"You said that it was an emergency," Natasha said with pretend annoyance.

"You know me," Tony said. "A paper cut qualifies as an emergency."

As Anne answered the door, the mail carrier delivered an unaddressed letter. As she opened up the letter, she was shocked to discover the letters THE Death OF T.S.-O.S. written in blood.

"Okay, I think that concludes our meeting." Suddenly, something struck the window. "Kids and baseball," Tony groaned. "I just got that window repaired… why do I even bother getting it repaired," he answered.

"Tony," Natasha said as she looked at the broken window. "I think that's a hammer."

"Somebody has a very ironic definition of hammer time," he said as he looked at the hammer.


	151. Iron Reception

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Iron Reception_

"I don't think I'm ready for this," Tony said as he adjusted his bowtie.

"Tony," Peter said as he looked at him. "I know that you're ready for this. You and Anne love each other. Both of you has survived every hurdle that has been thrown at you…"

"True."

"Hey, where is that snarky nature?"

"You're right." He paused as he looked in the mirror. "Tony Stark can never be dramatic."

"Yeah, but he can be melodramatic."

"That's enough from you, you little spider." He smiled. "Thank you for letting us use George's Point for the wedding, Peter."

"It's no problem, Tony." Peter left.

Anne gripped the note in her hand. Suddenly, Tony walked in. "Well, are you ready to walk down the aisle," he asked.

"Sure," Anne said nervously. She smiled quickly. As Tony left the room, she threw the note into the fireplace.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Weddings," Thor said as he looked around. "These we have on Asgard."

"So," Anne said to Tony as they danced at their reception. "Our otherworldly visitor seems to be recovering from culture shock."

"I think he will," Tony responded. "He's brilliant… a war hero back home."

"I think he'll make an excellent addition to our team."

"Yeah… if only we could convince him that the caterers are not murdering the lobster," Tony said.

"Good luck with that," Anne responded sarcastically. "So," Anne said as she looked around. "No regrets?"

"No regrets," Tony said confidently. "You?"

"No regrets," Anne smiled as they kissed.

"Peter," Mary Jane said as she walked over by him at the reception. "I almost lost you several times…" She paused. "I don't want to take that chance again."

"So…" He paused. "You're saying that you don't want to be together?"

"You didn't let me finish," she said quickly. "Peter," she said confidently. "In life, there will always be risks. However, if you're not willing to take risks, I'll never enjoy my life." She paused. "When I was insufferable, you were the only one who gave me a chance. When I was willing to settle for less, you made me realize that I should not settle for less. You made me take off my mask that I was wearing for the world…" She paused again. "As cliché as it sounds, you made me realize that I could reach my potential… I could even reach more than my potential…" She started to walk towards him. "So, what other choice would I have besides saying 'yes'?"

"Are you serious," Peter said in shock.

"Peter…" She paused as she looked at him happily. "I'm sure about this than I've ever been about anything in my life."

"What about Gwen and Ben?"

"They would want us to be happy." They kissed.

"For Clint," Natasha said as she put Clint's arrows in the George's Point memorial room.

"He would've been an awesome team member," Bruce said.

"Yes, he would've." Natasha paused. "Clint always used to say, 'There's no 'I' in team, however, there are a lot of egos.'"

"Tell me about it," Bruce laughed. "He didn't deserve what happened to him," Bruce said as he adjusted Betty's picture on the wall.

"Betty didn't deserve what happened to her," Natasha said sadly.

"Natasha…" Bruce paused. "They wouldn't want us to live in the past."

"I know." Natasha paused. "We have a reception to get back to." She paused as she looked at him. "I love you, Bruce."

"I love you too, Natasha." They left.

"You know," Tony said to Anne as they danced. "It's funny…"

"What's funny," Anne asked in confusion.

"Pepper…" Tony paused. "She said that I would never get married," he said sadly.

"Harry used to joke that I was a feminist who would not be caught dead with a ring on my finger," Anne said. She laughed slightly.

"I'm sure he was grateful that he was wrong," Tony said reassuringly.

"I know he was," Anne said sadly. "I don't know… I just went through a phase in my life when I thought that all men were egotistic, self-centered playboys."

"And so, you ended up with someone who was the farthest thing from that… me," Tony said sarcastically. They laughed.

"I guess I did." She smiled. Suddenly, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Is that a timer," she asked. "Tony, look out!" The wall exploded. Suddenly, they heard the sound of clinking footsteps. "Uh, Tony…"

"What is that?"

"The Iron Monger."

"Iron Giant," she asked.

"No… Obadiah Stane… my ex-business rival…" He paused as he looked at Obadiah. "One of the people responsible for Pepper's death…" He started to walk towards him.

"Obadiah Stane… O.S… Tony, don't! He'll…" However, Anne's warnings came too late as Obadiah swiftly knocked Tony out. Obadiah then carried Tony outside. "Tony," Anne yelled as she ran outside. However, Obadiah had already gone.

"Guys," Anne said as she ran back inside. "Obadiah has come back and he's kidnapped Tony!"

"Obadiah's not going to go down without a fight," Bruce said.

"What were his motivations," Anne asked.

"Power… prestige… you name it, he wanted it," Bruce said. "He wanted to be the head of the company."

"What if…" Anne paused.

"He's not going to hurt Tony, Anne, we won't let him. It's a team of us versus the giant."

"This Obadiah Stane you speak of," Thor began. "I'm assuming he's dangerous?"

"In a word: yes," Bruce said.

"Count me in. I will lead you to victory."

"Well…" Bruce looked at Natasha. Natasha shrugged.

"Why not? We need his help."

"Fine." Suddenly, they heard the sound of shattered glass.

"Tony," Anne yelled. They raced upstairs.

"Bruce," Natasha said as Bruce investigated the object. "What is it?"

"It looks like a military shield."

"Is it American?"

"Yes… it's not modern either… my guess is that it's from the 1940's…"

"Does it have any form of identification," Natasha asked.

"Yes… there is something," Bruce said as he tried to read the inscription. "Captain Steve Rogers."

"Reporting for duty, sir," Steve said as he walked into the room. "This doesn't look like the draft center."

"It's not," Bruce, answered. "This is George's Point, named after George Stacy…"

"Who?"

"Right… uh, deceased police captain." He paused.

"What are these things," Steve asked as he pointed to a computer.

"We've got our work cut out for us," Bruce said.

"Yes, we do," Natasha, agreed. "Does anyone ever have a normal wedding around here?"

"Who doesn't," Steve asked.


	152. Old Enemies

**Chapter Twenty**

_Old Enemies_

"Leave it to Obadiah Stane to ruin a wedding," Natasha said to Bruce as they ran.

"Yeah… I just hope that Tony's okay."

"He's going to be okay, Bruce." She paused. "He is Iron Man, after all." She smiled slightly.

"You ruined me, Tony," Obadiah said as he lifted Tony. "Now, I'm going to ruin you." Suddenly, something struck Obadiah's suit.

"Obadiah Stane…" She paused. "We never met; however, I'm sure that you heard of me in the business world…" She paused again. "My name is Anne Toomes Osborn Stark, and I'm not going to let you ruin him."

"Anne," Tony said in shock. She was in a huge iron suit, similar to Obadiah's suit.

"Funny, Tony," Anne said sarcastically. "I thought that you said that you would never be a damsel in distress."

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Banner." The voice made Natasha and Bruce stopped.

"Emil," Banner asked.

"I was supposed to kill you," he began. "I was supposed to receive your fame… however; you took that away from me…"

"A little obsessed, aren't we," Natasha said sarcastically and confidently.

"I wanted your power," Emil said as he tried to choke Bruce. However, Natasha swiftly struck him.

"Natasha Romanoff Barton," Emil began as he regained his composure. He smiled slightly. "I guess it's Banner now, isn't it?" He looked at Bruce. "It's a little soon after Betty's demise, don't you think?" He paused as he looked at Natasha. "You know, dear, I think you've made the biggest mistake of your life… now you're going to have to live with this creature." He paused as he looked at Bruce. "I saved Betty from living that life…" Suddenly, Bruce pushed him against a wall.

"Well," Peter said awkwardly to Mary Jane. "Tony's been kidnapped and Emil has found Natasha and Bruce…"

"And Anne's helping Tony…" Mary Jane paused as she looked at him. "Divide and conquer?"

"Sounds great to me." They left.

"You know," Obadiah said to Tony. "It's a shame that Pepper had to die, all because of you."

"Tony," Anne said. "Don't listen to him. It wasn't your fault…" Suddenly, she took Tony away from Obadiah. Peter, as Spider-man, was swinging into view. Anne handed Tony over to Peter.

"This is awkward," Tony said to Peter as he put his arms around his neck. "I never thought that I'd be thanking you for saving me."

"I never thought that I'd want to save you," Peter responded sarcastically. Suddenly, Anne hit Obadiah. As Obadiah recovered, he walked towards Anne. "What's going on, Tony," Peter asked.

"Rock 'em, sock 'em robots," Tony answered.

Bruce's eyes were starting to turn green. "And you," Emil said as he looked at Natasha. "You honestly think that you can make up for all that you did by becoming a hero," he said. Emil laughed. "How many died in that hospital fire, again?" Natasha struck him. "I'm beginning to see why Bruce married you," he began. "Both of you have a mean temper."

"Stop, Emil," Bruce demanded. "I don't…"

"You don't want to hurt me?" Emil laughed. "Don't worry about it, Bruce. You're not going to hurt me." He paused. "I can turn into what you can; only when I turn, I'm an abomination." He paused as he looked at Natasha. "I'm even angrier than he is, if you catch my drift." Suddenly, Mary Jane landed on the ground.

"Well," Mary Jane began. "I see I arrived here just in time. What's going on?"

"Do you remember those creation scenes in the old horror movies?"

"Yes… why?" Suddenly, Bruce transformed into the Hulk and Emil transformed into the Abomination.

"That's why."

Suddenly, Obadiah struck Anne's iron suit. The suit started to fall to the ground. Peter attempted to swing towards one of the buildings. However, he missed and landed on his feet. Suddenly, glass shattered as Anne kicked the face of the suit. She jumped out of the suit, landing on a nearby rooftop. Anne walked towards Obadiah's suit. "What is she doing," Peter asked Tony.

"Whatever it is," Tony began. "I'm just glad we have ringside seats."

Mary Jane and Natasha looked at the now-transformed Bruce and Emil. "You try to calm down Bruce, I'll handle Emil," Mary Jane said.

"Deal," Natasha said. Mary Jane grabbed a set of chains, and they started to walk towards Bruce and Emil.

Anne jumped onto the back of Obadiah's suit. She quickly removed some wiring, causing Obadiah to stumble. "Look," Anne said harshly as she held onto the suit. "It doesn't have to end this way, Obadiah. You were a brilliant businessman." She paused. "I know what success can do to people, and I definitely know what being a workaholic does."

"I can never go back to that life because of Tony," Obadiah said angrily. "I knew that I would inherit the company after Tony's death…"

"Even I did not know how big of a bounty you had on your head," Peter said sarcastically to Tony.

"Neither did I," Tony responded.

"STARK INDUSTRIES will be mine," Obadiah said as he started to head towards Tony. Suddenly, Anne removed another piece of wiring and she pushed Obadiah slightly forward. As Obadiah fell into an abandoned warehouse, Anne jumped off the suit.

Natasha looked at Bruce. "Bruce, listen to me. Calm down… it's going to be okay…"

"Listen, Emil," Mary Jane said as she threw the chains around his feet. "You're going to listen to me…" She brought him down to the ground. "I know that you wanted to be respected, I know that you wanted fame…" Emil angrily struggled against his constraints. "However, you can't blame Bruce. He never wanted this…" She looked at Bruce, who was now human again. "However, he made the best situation out of the worst circumstances…"

"I'm dying," Emil angrily yelled.

"What," Natasha asked in shock.

"The serum," Emil, as the Abomination, yelled as he looked at Bruce. "It should've killed you."

"I know," Bruce said. "It's a miracle that I survived…"

"The serum is killing me." He paused. "This is it… this is all I'll be remembered for… Emil Blonsky… the abomination…" He took his last breath.

"Well," Tony said to Anne. "That was one heck of a reception."

"Obadiah's dead… Emil's dead…" Peter paused. "What's going to happen now?"

"Life is going to return to normal."

"Tony," Peter said as he looked at him. "Life can never be completely normal."

"Well, hopefully, for the next few seconds." Tony looked at Natasha, Bruce, Anne, Mary Jane and Peter. "Well, let's go home. It's been a long day." They left.


	153. Last Wedding

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_Last Wedding_

"This is it," she said happily, as she walked into the room. Mary Jane, clad in an off-the-shoulder white, long dress with her hair curled into a ponytail/bun combination, turned around to see June.

"June," she exclaimed happily as she raced towards her. "Where have you been?"

"I figured that if I went on a little vacation, both of you would have plenty of time to figure out your own problems." She smiled as she looked at her. "However, I couldn't miss your wedding day." She smiled at her.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Could you give me away," Mary Jane asked her.

"Wait a minute," June said sarcastically. "I thought that was traditionally a 'man's job.'"

"Well, you've always been a rule breaker." Mary Jane smiled.

"Speaking of breaking rules…" June paused as she went over to the door. "I think that after everything that has happened, the bride and groom should get a chance to talk." Peter entered into the room, and June left the room.

"I'll admit," Mary Jane began. "I was not ready to get married before." She paused. "It wasn't that I did not love you, Peter… it was just that I could not go through that again… I could not take the chance of losing somebody else…"

"I know." Peter paused. "After Gwen, I did not want to take that chance again." He paused. "So, what made you change your mind?"

"Natasha and Bruce…" She paused. "Anne and Tony…" She paused again. "They showed me that one should not restrict their life based on previous negative experiences…" She paused. "Is that what made you change your mind?"

"Yes." Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

"Well," June began. "If everything is set, there are a lot of people waiting for a wedding to happen."

Harry… Gwen… Spider-man… Peter… Liz… Harry… Warren… Anne… Tony… Mary Jane… Harry… Harry's death… Peter did nothing to stop it… Peter did nothing to stop any of Harry's problems… Peter did not even try to save him. Suddenly, Norman woke up. As he tried to catch his breath, he noticed a newspaper lying on the ground. After he started to pick it up, he started to look through it. One of the announcements caught his attention: PARKER-REILLY wedding. He looked at it angrily.

"Congrats, guys," Bruce, said as Mary Jane and Peter walked by.

"I never thought that I would see this day," Tony said sarcastically.

"I'm sure you did not," Peter responded.

"At least I'm not being held captive in a car during this wedding," Anne deadpanned.

"At least I'm still conscious," Natasha responded sarcastically.

"Well, nature's calling," Bruce, said quietly. He left.

"Peter," Mary Jane said as they danced. "I'm sorry that I waited this long..."

"I am too." He looked at her. "Everything that we experienced is behind us. We can't dwell on the past, we have to live in the present and focus on the future."

"I know." She smiled at him.

"Hey, Nat," Tony said. "When Bruce said that nature was calling, did he mean long distance?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I went to the bathroom, and nobody else was in there."

"I'm sure he's fine, Tony," Natasha said nervously. "He may have needed some fresh air or something… just give him some time…"

"Okay," Tony agreed. Suddenly, Anne fainted.

"Anne," Tony asked. There was no response.

"What's going on," Peter demanded as he and Mary Jane walked over.

"Nothing," Tony said quickly. "I'm sure she just needs some fresh air…" He picked her up and carried her outside.

"Uh… why don't I check on Bruce," Natasha said nervously. She left.

"Everything is going to be okay, Peter," Mary Jane said as she looked at him. "It's going to be okay."

"I know." He paused. "I better check on Tony." He left.

"It's going to be okay, Mary Jane," June said.

"I just told Peter that," Mary Jane said in annoyance.

"I know…" She paused. "I thought that you needed to hear that…" Suddenly, the back wall exploded, sending June into one of the reception tables.

"June," Mary Jane yelled. However, she came face to face with Norman, as the Green Goblin. He sedated her.

"What happened," Peter yelled as he ran back. As soon as he saw June, he ran towards her. "June, are you okay?"

"It was always my dream to be thrown onto a table due to a bomb," she answered sarcastically. "Other than that, I'm fine." She paused as Peter looked at her doubtfully. "Really, Peter. I'm fine. You need to go after Mary Jane."

"What happened?"

"Peter…" She paused. "Norman took her."

"Where did he take her?"

"Peter…" She paused.

"June," he said angrily. "Where did he take her?"

"The Brooklyn Bridge," she said sadly. Peter started to run.

"Wait," she said. "I'm coming with you."

"June, you're not coming with me."

"Yes," June said as she put her arms around his neck. "I am. Now go!" They left.

Mary Jane started to wake up from the sedative. As she looked to her right, she was shocked to discover that she was several feet above ground. "Do you know where you are," Norman, as the Green Goblin asked.

"Yes, the Brooklyn Bridge." She paused as she grabbed onto both sides of the bridge. "You know," she said as she started to stand up. "It's a shame that you could not come up with something more original…" Suddenly, a strand of webbing hit the bridge and Peter lifted himself and June onto the bridge.

"How would you like to create your very first wedding day, Peter," Norman asked sarcastically.

"That's not going to happen," Peter said angrily.

"You're right," he said as he looked at June. "Let's start with her first," he said as he pushed her off the bridge. She quickly grabbed onto a ladder attached to the bridge.

"Wasn't that inconvenient," she said mockingly as she grabbed onto one of the rungs. "They're doing repair work on the bridge…"

"June, are you okay?"

"Well, Peter," June began as her hands hung onto one of the rungs. "I'm hanging in there."

"It's her turn," Norman said as he grabbed one of Mary Jane's arms. Mary Jane pushed him away; however, he pushed her off the bridge. However, Mary Jane grabbed the bridge.

"What…" Norman paused.

"I guess you don't need me anymore," Peter said sarcastically.

"Well, you could lift me up… that would help." He lifted her back onto the bridge.

"Uh, guys," June, said as the ladder started to disconnect. However, nobody heard her.

"Norman, I know that you wanted this for Harry…" Mary Jane paused as she looked at him. "But Harry would not want this."

"Don't, Mary Jane," Peter warned. However, she persisted.

"This would turn Harry away from you," she pleaded. "It could have been different, Norman. You could have seen your family…" She paused. "Peter had nothing to do with Harry's misfortunes. Some insane magician… Warren, who wanted what you wanted… revenge… He wanted revenge for George Stacy's death…" She paused as she looked at him. "However, revenge just leads to more revenge…"

"Mary Jane…" He paused as he looked at her. "The goblin is a permanent part of me now."

"It does not have to be."

"Well," June remarked sarcastically as the ladder disconnected. "I always wanted to free fall." Her hands slipped off the ladder as the ladder fell towards the ground.

"Harry was my life," Norman began. "I can never forgive Peter for that…" He looked at Peter. "You took him away from me." As he threw a bomb towards him, Mary Jane grabbed Peter and herself out of the way. They watched in horror as the bomb struck Norman. Suddenly, Mary Jane looked on the ground.

"June!" Mary Jane quickly swung herself and Peter down to the ground. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, both of you," June said with pretend annoyance. "You…" June struggled for air. "You have a reception to get back to." June smiled slightly before she took her last breath. Suddenly, Peter's foot slipped into the water. "

"Peter," Mary Jane yelled as the water carried Peter away. However, there was no response.


	154. Avenge

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Avenge_

Seven years later…

Natasha hurried to the phone as it rang. "Hey, Anne, how is everything going?"

"Great." Anne paused. "I'm pretty sure that Tom has a heart like his father's, if you know what I mean."

"Nonhuman?" Natasha smiled. Tom was Anne and Tony's baby boy.

"Yes." She paused. "What about Mark?" Mark was Bruce and Natasha's baby boy.

"Well, he definitely has his father's temper."

"In other words…"

"Don't make him angry… you would not like him when he's angry…" She smiled.

_Show me what I'm looking for,_

_ With great power, comes great responsibility, _

_ I've been waiting for you_

"Hey," Mary Jane said as she walked into the memorial room at George's Point. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Peter said as he looked at a picture of Norman and Harry. "I'm just reminiscing." He paused as he looked at the picture. "Norman finally got what he wanted… what he really wanted…"

"I think all of that time; his business distracted him from what he wanted." She paused. "He wanted to be a better father to Harry."

"I just wish…" Peter paused as he looked at various pictures on the wall. There was Ben, Sally, Jason, George, Gwen, Ben Reilly, Liz, Ned, Harry, Betty, May, Pepper and June. "I just wish that I could have saved them."

"I know," Mary Jane said as she sat down.

"I had to fight for them to be included in the wall," Peter said as he pointed to another set of pictures. There was John, Robert, Norman, Warren and Adrian. "The only difference between them and the rest of us was that they made a different choice when they faced difficult circumstances."

"I know." Mary Jane paused as she looked at him. "We have to get going. It's time for the initiation." They left.

"Okay," Tony began. "Spider-man and uh, Spider-woman…" He looked at Mary Jane. "I'm sorry, but that's not as easy to say as the former."

"Very funny, Tony," she responded.

"Well, after years of declining," Tony announced. "Peter Parker has finally decided to join our little group and I have a response to that…" He paused. "Welcome and thank you."

"What is the name of this group," Natasha asked.

"Isn't it the Alliance," Bruce asked.

"No, that doesn't sound heroic enough," Tony, said. "Besides, we're humans, not nations."

"Well," Natasha said. "Do you have a name suggestion?"

"Well," Tony began. "We avenge things…"

"What about the Avengers," Peter asked.

"Avengers…" Tony paused. "No, it'll never catch on. We'll think of something." Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Mary Jane volunteered.

"Let's see…" Tony paused as he tried to think of some names.

"Tony," Mary Jane said as she walked back into the room. "Someone wants to see you."

"Not now."

"He says that it's urgent."

"That's what everyone says."

"Yeah, but this strikes me as the kind of urgency that could lead to death if not acted on."

"What did you say his name was?"

"I didn't." She paused. "Loki."

"Brother," Thor said emphatically.

"This guy is Thor's brother," Tony said sarcastically. "Oh, Mary Jane, we're really in trouble."

"Listen, Tony, he's different than Thor," Mary Jane pleaded.

"Mary Jane's right, Tony," Natasha said. "Loki made me kill Clint…"

"Well, we should not keep him waiting any longer," Tony, announced. "First, we have to take attendance…"

"Black Widow online…"

"Hulk online…"

"Captain America online…"

"Thor online…"

"Vulturess online…"

"Spider-man online…"

"Spider-woman online…"

"Iron Man online…" Tony paused. "Or, as the rest of the world knows us, Natasha Romanoff Barton Banner, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Thor, Anne Toomes Osborn Stark, Peter Parker, and Mary Jane Watson Reilly Parker."

"Tony," Peter asked. "What happened to secret identities?"

"Secret identities only lead to webs of intrigues, lies and more secrecy." Tony paused. "No pun and offense intended."

"None taken," Peter responded sarcastically.

"Well, I think we've kept this Loki waiting long enough…" Tony started to leave. "I have one word for all of you: assemble.

"Peter," Mary Jane said to him as they started to walk out of the room. "Can you believe all that's happened?"

"No." Peter thought about all that had happened.

_Later that day, Peter went to his house. There was a moving van in his neighbor's driveway. Oh yeah, he thought to himself. Those people are moving in today. I totally forgot about that. "Peter, I want you to meet our neighbor." Aunt May was motioning for him to get inside. "Peter, this is Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane, this is my nephew, Peter Parker." Mary Jane stood up._

_ "May, it was really nice of you to introduce me to your nephew, but no thanks. I've seen a bunch of these situations before. The nice mother figure tries to introduce the girl to her male relative. I'm sure Peter is a nice boy, but I'm not interested."_

_ Peter scoffed. Boy, did that woman have a lot of nerve._

_"Pete… Pete…" Peter turned around to see Mary Jane. "I don't know why I ever doubted you. I can always count on you."_

_ She turned around to see Peter sedate the deranged fan. Then, Peter went over to her. She breathed out. "Thank you." Her eyes gleamed up at him._

_Peter looked at Mary Jane. "I know you must think this is crazy, but I needed you. I needed your help; I needed your advice…"_

_"I know." She paused as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to see him one more time." She paused. "However, I now know that having just one more day with him would never be enough for me."_

_ "Don't you think I feel that way about Gwen?"_

_ "I know you do." She paused. "Warren told me what you really said after you discovered that Ben…" She stopped._

_ "I should've explained that to you. I was just so relieved to discover that I wasn't the clone that…" He paused. "I always wished Ben the best and I know that he could always be a greater hero than I could ever be." He paused again. "However, Norman had other plans and…"_

_ "Peter, you could always be the hero that Ben was."_

_"Peter, Aunt May sacrificed so much for us… she'd do the same if she were in our position…" Mary Jane's eyes started to water. "Peter, if we're truly meant to be together, we'll find each other again…"_

_ "Listen, Mary Jane, Warren is not strong enough to separate us." He paused. "We will find each other and it'll be the same as it always was."_

_"Peter," Mary Jane said as they danced. "I'm sorry that I waited this long..."_

_ "I am too." He looked at her. "Everything that we experienced is behind us. We can't dwell on the past, we have to live in the present and focus on the future."_

_ "I know." She smiled at him._

"Face it, tiger," Mary Jane said as she looked at him. "You just hit the jackpot."

"And I thought that you had changed so much since the day we met," Peter responded sarcastically. They left.

THE END

Thanks for reading


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